A Tragic Death Ignites National Outrage
On January 24, 2026, Alex Jeffrey Pretti — a 37-year-old intensive care unit (ICU) nurse and U.S. citizen — was shot and killed by a federal Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The incident occurred amid a controversial federal immigration enforcement operation dubbed Operation Metro Surge, which had deployed thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents to the state. The killing has unleashed a firestorm of controversy, political debate, legal action, and public protest across the United States.
Who Was Alex Pretti? The Man Behind the Headlines
Alex Pretti was far more than a name in a news story. Born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, he graduated from Preble High School and went on to earn his nursing degree. At the time of his death, he was a dedicated ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where colleagues and friends described him as compassionate, brave, and ever ready to help those in need.
As a healthcare professional, Pretti regularly cared for some of the most critically ill patients, including military veterans, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to service. Friends spoke of his empathy, kindness, and quiet strength — a person who “lit up every room” he entered.
Outside of work, Pretti was known for his love of the outdoors, close relationships with family and friends, and an abiding belief in helping others — a theme that would tragically echo in his final moments.
The Fatal Encounter: How Pretti Was Killed
The shooting occurred around 9:05 a.m. near the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis. Federal Border Patrol agents were part of a large scale immigration enforcement operation in the city — the biggest of its kind in recent U.S. history.
According to federal authorities, Pretti approached a group of agents while allegedly holding a handgun, leading to the deadly use of force. But eyewitness accounts, video footage, and statements collected by news outlets tell a different story:
Bystander video and multiple eyewitnesses show Pretti with a phone in one hand and his other hand raised, not brandishing a weapon at any point before or during the initial confrontation
