Which ICU nurse was fatally shot by immigration agents during a Minnesota protest in January 2026?

Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 24, 2026, during a protest against immigration enforcement operations. Pretti, who worked for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, was actively involved in the demonstrations, which had escalated following the killing of another individual, Renée Good, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent earlier that month. On the day of his death, Pretti was reportedly filming law enforcement with his phone and attempting to direct traffic.

Witness accounts and verified video evidence suggest that Pretti intervened when an agent pushed a woman to the ground, placing his arm around her. He was then pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by several federal agents before being shot multiple times by two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Federal officials offered a conflicting account, stating that Pretti resisted arrest and that an agent yelled he had a gun, but his family and video evidence dispute this, asserting he was holding only his phone and was disarmed before being shot.

A passionate advocate, Pretti was born in Illinois, grew up in Wisconsin, and held a degree in biology, society, and environment from the University of Minnesota. His work as an ICU nurse for veterans reflected his deep care for people, a sentiment that extended to his concerns about the aggressive immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis. The incident sparked widespread protests and outrage across the nation, with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz describing the federal operations as "organized brutality" and activating the Minnesota National Guard in response to the escalating tensions. The Department of Homeland (Review) Security's refusal to allow local investigators to probe the shooting further fueled public outcry and calls for transparency.