Alex Pretti's Parents Beg the World to Tell the Truth About Their Son — He Was a "Hero"

Less than three weeks after Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, a similar incident has left the city's residents shocked, afraid, and angry. On the morning of Jan. 24, 2026, 37-year-old Alex Pretti was standing on Nicollet Ave. filming federal agents while they were making an arrest, per ABC News.

When the agents took note of Pretti filming, they approached him. What happened next has been recorded by various witnesses from multiple angles. After one agent pushed a nearby woman to the ground, Pretti attempted to help her. Both were pepper-sprayed. Pretti holds up his hand and is pushed to the ground. An agent removed a gun that Pretti was legally carrying. Seconds later, he was fatally shot multiple times by two officers. His parents have since released a powerful statement about their son.

The full statement released by Pretti's parents was shared by CBS News. Pretti was an ICU nurse who worked at Minneapolis VA Medical Center, where he cared for veterans. He had no criminal record apart from a few parking tickets. Pretti was legally licensed to carry the handgun he had on his person. It's worth noting he never had the gun in any hand while at the protest.

His parents are heartbroken and angry, describing their son as a "kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends." He wanted to make a difference in the world. "Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact," they wrote. They don't use the word "hero" lightly, but Pretti's parents highlighted the fact that his "last thought and act was to protect a woman."

They continued, "The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting." Pretti's parents reiterated the fact that their son was very clearly not holding his gun in any of the available footage of the incident. He was trying to help a woman who had been assaulted by federal agents. "Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man."

There are numerous debates online surrounding Pretti's actions, many of which revolve around his alleged interference with an arrest. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter if Pretti was or was not obstructing justice. The punishment for that crime is not state-sanctioned execution. He died as he lived, trying to help another person.

In a post to Facebook, his final nursing student wrote about the mentor she had known for the past four months. He taught her "techniques intended to heal." According to Jessica Hauser, Pretti "carried patience, compassion, and calm as a steady light within him." Caring for people was who he was, which is why it did not surprise Hauser to learn that her mentor's words were, "Are you OK?" She went on say Pretti was incapable of causing harm, lived a life of healing, and lived that life well.