Parents of ICE Shooting Victim Alex Pretti Recall Emotional Final Phone Call and Challenge Official Narrative
The grieving parents of Intensive Care Unit nurse Alex Pretti have shared poignant details of their last conversation with their son, while simultaneously confronting what they describe as 'sickening lies' spread by authorities about his death. Michael and Susan Pretti spoke exclusively about the tragic events that unfolded in Minneapolis, where their 37-year-old son was fatally shot by federal immigration agents.
Final Conversation Reveals Kindness Amid Growing Tensions
In their emotional account, the Pretti parents revealed they spoke with Alex just days before his death, during which he discussed recent repairs to his garage door completed by a Latino worker. Demonstrating his compassionate nature, Alex had given the worker a $100 tip (approximately £73) due to concerns about impending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the area.
Michael Pretti disclosed that during this conversation, he had warned his son about the dangers of engaging with ICE agents patrolling Minnesota streets. 'We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so,' Michael recalled. 'Go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically. And he said he knows that. He knew that.'
Contradictory Accounts of the Fatal Incident
The official narrative from the Department of Homeland Security maintains that Mr Pretti approached officers with a drawn gun and was killed during an attempted disarming. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed the nurse had 'violently resisted' and stated that 'an agent fired defensive shots.'
However, multiple eyewitness accounts and video evidence present a starkly different version of events. Footage from the scene appears to show Mr Pretti pinned to the ground by officers before being shot multiple times at point-blank range. A key witness has provided sworn testimony stating the nurse was holding a phone and recording officers, not brandishing any weapon.
Family's Anguish Over Official Statements
The Pretti family has expressed profound distress over what they term 'reprehensible and disgusting' statements issued by the Trump administration regarding their son's death. In their first public statement addressing the shooting, they declared: 'We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.'
They continued: 'Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting.'
Challenging the Official Version
The family has been particularly vocal in disputing the official account of their son's final moments. They assert: 'Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed.'
This incident marks the second fatal shooting of its kind in Minneapolis this month, following the recent death of Renee Good. The Pretti family's account adds to growing concerns about immigration enforcement tactics and transparency in official reporting of such incidents.
As the investigation continues, the family remains determined to clear their son's name and ensure the truth about his final moments becomes widely known. Their emotional testimony provides a powerful counter-narrative to official claims, highlighting both Alex Pretti's compassionate character and the controversial circumstances surrounding his death.
