Pretti family calls for accountability after son killed by federal immigration officers

Seven months after Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs, was shot and killed by two immigration officers in Minneapolis, his family appeared on "Good Morning America" to demand accountability. Michael Pretti, the victim’s father, said the video of the incident is clear and that the family wants "justice" and the identities of the agents who fired the shots.

According to the televised interview, Pretti was recording a confrontation when an officer pushed a woman into him. He raised his hands, one holding a phone, and was subsequently wrestled to the ground, disarmed and shot about ten times. His parents said they learned of his death while watching news coverage and recognized his jacket and sunglasses on the footage.

The shooting has drawn criticism of the federal response. Former Trump administration officials, including a former Border Patrol commander and the former Homeland Security secretary, described Pretti as a domestic terrorist, while President Donald Trump called him an "agitator" in a social-media post. Michael Pretti said the focus on vilifying his son has outweighed efforts to investigate the incident.

The Department of Justice has opened a civil-rights investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security and FBI are also involved. An attorney for the family said they have not been kept informed about the progress of the probe and have requested meetings with prosecutors. A DOJ spokesperson noted that family communications typically occur later in the legal process, such as after an indictment.

The Pretti family said they seek an official release of the agents’ names and an apology for the statements made about Alex Pretti. They described the incident as a murder and called for those responsible to be held accountable.