As investigators proceed to collect proof on Saturday in regards to the second deadly capturing this month of an American citizen in Minneapolis by the hands of a federal agent, extra info is rising in regards to the sufferer, Alex Pretti.
Pretti, 37, labored for the Minneapolis VA Well being Care System as an ICU nurse, in line with AFGE Professional Local 3669, which represents skilled staff affiliated with the Minneapolis VA Well being Care System.
This undated picture supplied by Michael Pretti exhibits Alex J. Pretti, the person who was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026.
Michael Pretti by way of AP
“[A] member of our union misplaced their life right now, and that alone is devastating. Our hearts are heavy, and we’re deeply laid low with this tragedy that has befallen one in every of our personal,” the union stated.
A number of movies of the confrontation Saturday confirmed federal brokers spraying Pretti with a substance and pinning him to the bottom earlier than the capturing.
The Division of Homeland Safety alleged that Pretti approached Border Patrol brokers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and “violently resisted” when brokers tried to disarm him. Native officers have disputed that characterization.
Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino declined to provide extra particulars in regards to the confrontation, claiming, “This case is evolving. The investigation is ongoing. These info will come to gentle.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, nevertheless, questioned the claims and admonished the federal authorities for a rush to judgment with out spending extra time gathering proof.
This display seize from a video exhibits the scene moments earlier than a capturing in Minneapolis, on Jan. 24, 2025.
Obtained by ABC Information
Pretti, who labored as a nurse on the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Well being Care System, was issued a Minnesota nursing license in 2021 that remained lively via March 2026, in line with state information.
He beforehand served as a “junior scientist” on the College of Minnesota Medical Faculty, in line with his LinkedIn profile.
Dr. Dmitri Drekonja, who labored with Pretti, informed ABC Information Saturday “to these of us who know him it is galling and enraging” to listen to the best way federal officers are portraying Pretti.
“I do not perceive how one can put a label on somebody like that with out speaking to anybody who knew him. … They appear to be dropping that on the market out of completely nothing,” Drekonja stated.
Drekonnja stated he bonded with Pretti over their pursuits in mountain biking.
“The Twin Cities metro space had excellent mountain bike trails. We’d evaluate be aware about which of them to go to. We talked about the identical trails. I distinctly keep in mind considering that I had one other individual to trip with,” he stated.
“He was the kind of individual you loved being round and the notion that this beneficial, smiling joking man was being labeled a terrorist? It is galling,” he added.
This undated picture supplied by Michael Pretti exhibits Alex J. Pretti, the person who was shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, 2026.
Michael Pretti by way of AP
Drekonnja stated he knew Pretti since 2018 and talked extremely of Pretti’s work ethic.
“It is a man who, inside minutes, places individuals relaxed along with his humor, smiling, fast with a joke … He was a man who put individuals relaxed.”
Drekonnja added, “He was a man you simply loved being round. He was somebody who at all times stated, ‘what can I do to assist with this.’ It was fabulous.”
Mac Randolph stated in a Facebook post that Perrti handled his father on the VA. He posted a video on his Fb web page exhibiting the nurse giving the ultimate salute on the VA after his father handed away in 2024.
“In the present day we keep in mind that freedom isn’t free. We’ve got to work at it, nurture it, shield it and even sacrifice for it,” Pretti says within the video. “We could always remember and at all times keep in mind our brothers and sisters who’ve served in order that we could benefit from the reward of freedom.”
Randolph stated in his publish: “By no means wished to share this video however his speech may be very on level. Additionally my Fathers ultimate phrases to me was proceed to struggle the great struggle. He could be honored in Alex’ sacrifice, and ashamed of this present administration.”
The AFGE stated Pretti “devoted his life to serving American veterans.”
“Whereas particulars of the incident are nonetheless rising, one truth is already clear: this tragedy didn’t occur in a vacuum. It’s the direct results of an administration that has chosen reckless coverage, inflammatory rhetoric, and manufactured disaster over accountable management and de-escalation,” AFGE President Everett Kelley stated in an announcement.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that Pretti was a authorized gun proprietor and didn’t have a prison file.
Minnesota’s gun legal guidelines permit open carrying a handgun so long as the gun proprietor has a legitimate allow.
A spokesperson for the Inexperienced Bay Space Public Faculty District confirmed that Pretti was a 2006 graduate of the district.
-ABC Information’ Laura Romero contributed to this report.
