Dedicated VA ICU Nurse Alex Pretti Dead After Clash with Border Patrol in Minneapolis
- Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old VA ICU nurse licensed in Minnesota since 2021, praised by colleagues as outstanding and deeply compassionate toward patients.
- Federal agents say Pretti approached them armed and resisted; bystander videos and NYT analysis show him recording before being wrestled down and shot.
- ANA condemns the violence, extends condolences, and calls for a full investigation into the death of this nurse amid rising community tensions.
Content Warning: This article includes details of violence, death, and community trauma that may be distressing for readers, particularly nurses experiencing grief or workplace safety concerns. Reader discretion advised.
Today, January 24th, the nursing community is shaken by the death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Pretti was shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents working as part of an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis — an event that has sparked national debate, deep sorrow among colleagues, and urgent calls for accountability and transparency.
A Nurse Who Lived to Help Others
According to The Associated Press, Pretti’s family described him as a compassionate person, “deeply concerned about people,” and upset by what he saw happening in his community and the nation. His father, Michael Pretti, told AP that Alex viewed participating in protests as a way to express his care for others.
Prior to his nursing career, Pretti’s LinkedIn profile shows he attended University of Minnesota Medical School and worked as a junior scientist starting in 2012. He later became a registered nurse licensed in Minnesota, with his license issued in January 2021 and active through March 2026, according to Nursys. He worked in the VA’s ICU, where he cared for critically ill veterans.
Dimitri Drekonja, chief of infectious diseases at the VA hospital and professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota, worked with Pretti at the hospital and on a research project, and described him as an “outstanding” nurse and hard worker. He told The Guardian, “He wanted to help people. He was a super nice, super helpful guy – looked after his patients. I’m just stunned.”
The Incident in Minneapolis
On the morning of Saturday, January 24, federal immigration agents were conducting an enforcement operation in south Minneapolis when the confrontation occurred.
The Department of Homeland Security said the shooting occurred after what officials described as a confrontation with federal agents. In a statement to People, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said agents fired “defensive shots” after “Pretti ‘approached’ U.S. Border Patrol officers while armed with a handgun and ‘violently resisted’ as they attempted to disarm him.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, however, said in a press conference that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, and said his criminal history was limited to minor traffic and parking citations.
While federal officials stated that Pretti approached Border Patrol officers with a firearm, a New York Times analysis complicates that narrative, showing him recording agents and at times seen near and interacting with others before being wrestled to the ground and shot. Some observers have speculated he was trying to assist or shield another person moments before he was confronted by agents, but no official investigation has confirmed this.
Reaction Among Nurses
News of Pretti’s death quickly spread across social media, where nurses and healthcare workers shared their feelings of grief, anger, and disbelief.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and concern over Pretti’s death. The ANA wrote that it is “deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the death of Alex Pretti, a registered nurse, in Minneapolis earlier today. We extend our condolences to Alex’s loved ones, colleagues, and the community at large. ANA condemns violence in our communities. The seriousness of this incident and others demand transparency and accountability. ANA calls for a full, unencumbered investigation, and urges that findings be shared promptly and clearly so Alex’s loved ones and the public have answers.”
Within hours of the news breaking, the Minnesota Organization of Registered Nurses (MNORN) issued a heartfelt statement of grief and solidarity.
"Today, our nursing community is grieving. We have lost a fellow registered nurse to an act of violence connected to immigration enforcement. Regardless of where each of us stands on the issues surrounding this moment, the loss of a nurse, a caregiver, a colleague, a human being cuts us deeply. This message is not about politics. It is about mourning a life taken too soon and honoring the calling we all share." — Cami Peterson-DeVries, MNORN President
The statement urged nurses to "Please be gentle with yourselves and with one another in the days ahead. Check in on each other. Allow room for sorrow, confusion, and reflection. If you are struggling please reach out, no one needs or should carry this alone…When one nurse is lost, all of us feel it."
Why This Matters to Nurses
Pretti’s killing is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing protests in Minneapolis over immigration enforcement and prior fatal encounters between federal agents and local residents, adding another layer of trauma for nurses who already grapple with violence and moral distress in their daily work. For many in the profession, his death underscores how nurses’ commitment to advocacy and community safety can intersect with volatile law‑enforcement environments, raising urgent questions about how to protect both nurses and the people they stand up for.
Friends and family remember Pretti as someone who was deeply concerned about others, passionate about serving his community, and committed to standing up for what he believed was right. His loss resonates deeply within the nursing community — a reminder of the values nurses hold dear: compassion, dignity, service, and the protection of human life.
For many nurses reading this, it’s a moment to reflect on what we do and why we do it — and to honor a colleague who lived those principles every day.
Nurse.org will continue to update this article as more information becomes known about Pretti's death.
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