In the biting cold of a Minnesota evening, residents gathered for a solemn vigil to remember 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by a US Border Patrol officer earlier that day. The scene, captured in photographs, showed a community united in grief, holding candles against the winter darkness as they mourned a life cut short.
A Saturday Shattered by Violence
What began as a typical Saturday morning for many, with the familiar ritual of Premier League football kickoffs, was abruptly disrupted by devastating news. Another member of the local community had been brutally killed on the streets by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Social media quickly filled with multiple videos depicting the grotesque scene, a stark reminder of a tension that has felt increasingly inevitable.
For over a decade, watching soccer has been a staple weekend routine for millions. On this day, however, it was hard not to reflect on a prize awarded by the sport's most powerful organisation, FIFA, just eight weeks prior. The FIFA Peace Prize, meant to reward "exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace," had been given to the president overseeing the very federal actions contributing to this climate of fear. Online jokes about the "honour" from December now felt hollow and impossible to laugh at.
When Fantasy Football Loses All Meaning
A push notification about a fantasy football team scorer arriving half an hour later barely registered. Once a source of minor annoyance if left on the bench, today it meant nothing. The notification was quickly closed in favour of local news streams. As a favourite team prepared to play the defending champions in a significant match, the game was muted twenty minutes in. Attention turned instead to a press conference by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
The briefing was tragically familiar, echoing one delivered just 17 days earlier after the killing of Renee Good by ICE. Once again, officials pleaded for the only action that might defuse an impossibly tense situation: for ICE to leave the community alone. The press conference concluded, and a glance at the football revealed a 2-0 lead and a delirious stadium. Under different circumstances, this would have brought euphoria. Today, the crowd noise and poetic commentary went unheard, the goals forever linked to the sobering details of a senseless death.
A Search for Acknowledgement in Sport
A later match featuring the US women's national team, an international powerhouse known for advocating progress and against violence, offered a potential moment of recognition. The team has visited Minnesota with increasing frequency since the opening of Allianz Field in Saint Paul. Yet, there were no black armbands, no statement, no moment of silence before the national anthem. Even the gun lobby had found time to criticise how the victim's Second Amendment rights were turned against him in justifications of the killing.
When the fourth goal went in and its scorer hustled toward the camera for a viral social media celebration, the decision was made to catch up on the final 35 minutes later. This, despite it being the last meaningful soccer of the day. Evening plans at a favourite bar with dart boards were abandoned. Keeping up with television shows fell entirely off the priority list.
The New Daily Routine: Vigilance and Patrol
Time together now often means grabbing a coffee or water bottle and slowly driving around areas requesting neighbourhood patrols as community observers. Group chats on encrypted platforms, where participants use pseudonyms like produce, minerals, or neighbourhood landmarks, have become a constant. These are the people trusted most, those desperate to help protect.
It is haunting that the first two victims in this community—both 37 years old at the time of their deaths—shared an age the writer, soon to turn 32, once associated primarily with soccer players considering retirement. This new reality is difficult to discuss with friends who have moved away or never lived in Minnesota.
The Family's Plea for Truth
The evening news carried a statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, parents of Alex Pretti, now identified as a VA nurse. Their message pushed back against false narratives disseminated by powerful figures. "Please get the truth out about our son," it pleaded in closing. "He was a good man."
Professional instincts kicked in; noticing the statement hadn't yet reached social media, it was quickly transcribed and posted. Within an hour, it became the most read and shared post on the platform, surpassing any soccer-related content that usually dominates the feed. It felt like a productive act, helping spread a vital message.
Strength in Shared Cold and Community
Back in snow pants and boots, with another pack of hand warmers torn open, the writer stood with neighbours in subzero conditions after sunset. The vigil acknowledged the morning's horrors while stressing the value of community and resisting technologically enabled isolation. The ability to gather in a public park served as a powerful reminder of shared strength when it is needed most.
A few years ago, such freezing conditions rendered covering a World Cup qualifier impossible. Today, there was no place the writer would rather be than that city park. The anticipation is that the next day will be similar, even if no one is killed. The past few weeks have woven group chats, patrol drives, and dutiful observation into a new daily routine. Every car passing the window is scrutinised with longer gazes. Camera rolls, once full of pet photos, are now dominated by videos soundtracked by plastic whistles.
Waking on Sunday brought news that the federal attorney general had issued a list of demands for loosening ICE's grip on the state. Immediately below on the social feed, the US women's national team posted another angle of the fourth goal's viral celebration. In that moment, the contrast was stark, and the community's struggle for truth and peace felt far more important than any sporting triumph.
