Just days before he was killed, Alex Pretti was talking to his parents about something painfully ordinary — fixing his garage door.
Now, that quiet conversation has become a haunting final memory.
Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, have spoken out about the last time they heard their son’s voice before the 37-year-old ICU nurse was shot point-blank by a federal immigration agent during a protest in Minneapolis on January 24.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Pretti was killed during what officials described as a “targeted operation” against “an illegal alien wanted for violent assault.” DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed that Pretti, who was later identified as a lawful gun owner, approached officers while armed and “violently resisted” as they tried to disarm him.
But witnesses and newly surfaced videos appear to contradict that account — showing Pretti holding a phone, not a gun, in the moments before he was shot.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Michael and Susan Pretti said they spoke to their son on the phone just a couple of days before his death. They talked about a repairman who had fixed Alex’s garage door.
The man was Latino, and Alex told his parents he had tipped him $100 because of everything happening in Minneapolis.
“He just felt for people,” Michael said.
The parents knew Alex planned to attend the protests and had already warned him to be careful.
“We told him, go ahead and protest,” Michael recalled. “But do not engage. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“And he said he knows that,” Michael added. “He knew that.”
After Alex was killed, the family struggled to get answers. They ultimately confirmed his death through the Hennepin County Medical Examiner after repeated attempts to reach Minnesota officials.
In a statement released after his death was confirmed, the family described Alex as a “kindhearted soul” and accused DHS of spreading “sickening lies” about what happened.
“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” the statement read. “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.”
Six witnesses later submitted affidavits describing what they say really happened that night.
One woman said Pretti had been directing traffic and filming the scene on his phone. She claimed he walked over to support observers who were being threatened with pepper spray by federal agents.
“Alex put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him,” she wrote. “Then he tried to help up a woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The agents just kept spraying.”
“It didn’t look like he was trying to resist,” she added. “It looked like he was just trying to help her up.”
The woman said agents then forced Pretti to the ground. While he was down, four or five agents allegedly opened fire.
A second witness — a 29-year-old licensed pediatrician — said he tried to help Alex, who was in critical condition.
Despite identifying himself as a physician, he said ICE agents repeatedly demanded to see his medical license and patted him down to make sure he wasn’t carrying a weapon before finally letting him through.
When he reached Alex, he said the nurse was lying on his side, surrounded by agents.
“I did not see them check for a pulse or perform CPR,” the physician wrote. “Instead, they appeared to be counting his bullet wounds.”
“I asked if he had a pulse. They said they didn’t know,” he continued.
The physician checked himself — and found none.
“I immediately began CPR,” he said. “Shortly after, EMS arrived and took over.”
It was later revealed that Alex Pretti had been shot at least 10 times in just five seconds.
Now, as investigations continue and his family searches for answers, his parents are left holding onto their final memory of their son — a gentle conversation about a garage door, a generous tip, and a young man who only wanted to make the world a little kinder. 💔
