Alex’s father said his son “cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the US with ICE”.
Alex Pretti was 37 years old when his life ended.
He died after he was shot by a federal officer at least 10 times within 5 seconds.
His killing has sparked protests, debate and renewed a heated argument over the widespread deployment of thousands of federal agents in an immigration crackdown.
But who was he?
A sign for 37-year-old Alex Pretti is displayed during a vigil. Pic: AP
Mr Pretti was a US citizen who was born in Illinois.
He grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he played football, baseball and ran for Preble High School.
He was an avid outdoorsman, perhaps stemming from the fact that he used to be a boy scout.
Pic: Michael Pretti via AP
Mr Pretti was also musical when growing up, singing in the Green Bay Boy Choir.
After leaving school, he went to the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment, according to his family.
Alex Pretti
He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.
He worked as an ICU nurse at the Veterans Administration in Minneapolis, with his family saying he cared deeply about people.
Before his dog’s recent death, Mr Pretti loved getting into adventures with Joule, his Catahoula Leopard dog.
Michael Pretti, Alex’s father, said his son “cared about people deeply and he was very upset with what was happening in Minneapolis and throughout the US with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)”.
He added that his son felt that protesting was a way in which he could express his care for others.
He had participated in protests following the killing of Ms Good by a US ICE officer earlier this month. She died less than a mile from where he would be killed.
Like Ms Good, who was also 37 years old when she was killed, court records show Mr Pretti didn’t have any criminal record.
His family said he hadn’t had any interaction with police, except for a couple of traffic tickets.
Family members said Mr Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota.
Owning a gun is not hugely unusual in Minnesota.
Data from Minnesota law enforcement agencies shows that over 65,000 handgun carry permits were approved in both 2022 and 2023.
But while Mr Pretti owned a gun, his family had never known him to carry it.
His ex-wife told the AP news agency he obtained a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years ago and that he owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated, over two years ago.
She added that she had never known him to be physically confrontational, despite having been involved in previous protests – like those following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.
Neighbours described him as quiet and warm-hearted.
Alex Pretti is seen using a mobile phone moments before he is fatally shot. Pic: Reuters
“He’s a wonderful person,” said Sue Gitar, who lived downstairs from Mr Pretti.
She painted a rosy picture of her neighbour, who she said moved into the building about three years ago.
If there was something suspicious going on in the neighbourhood, or when they worried the building might have a gas leak, he would jump in to help, she told AP.
Despite working long hours as a nurse, Mr Pretti was not a loner and would sometimes have friends over, according to his neighbours.
In a recent conversation with their son, his parents, who still live in Wisconsin, told him to be careful when protesting.
His father said Alex told him: “He knows that, he knew that.”
A few weeks later, his family found out about the shooting that killed Mr Pretti through a phone call from a reporter.
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