The parents of Alex Pretti — the 28-year-old Minnesotan fatally shot by an ICE agent during a confrontation earlier this month — have come forward with new details about their son’s life in the months leading up to his death, including his decision to quit his hospital job and recent “unusual behavior” that alarmed the family.
In an emotional interview with local reporters outside their home, Michael Pretti, Alex’s father, said his son had abruptly left his position as a medical technician at a Minneapolis hospital several months ago. “He was always a hard worker, but something changed,” Michael said. “He started talking about groups, about ‘standing up,’ about things we didn’t fully understand. We warned him two weeks ago — protest if you want, but don’t engage, don’t do anything stupid. He said he understood.”
The revelation adds a new layer of complexity to the case that has gripped the nation. Pretti was shot multiple times by ICE agents during an operation in a Minneapolis neighborhood. A physician who witnessed the incident from his apartment window filed a sworn affidavit claiming agents blocked medical aid and did nothing to save Pretti as he lay dying.
Investigators, who obtained a warrant for Pretti’s phone shortly after the shooting, have reportedly uncovered messages that paint a troubling picture of his final weeks. Sources familiar with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, say the phone contained communications with members of what appears to be an activist group opposed to ICE operations in the city. The messages reportedly include discussions of confronting federal agents, coordinating protests, and references to “direct action” — language that has raised questions about whether Pretti’s behavior escalated beyond peaceful demonstration.
Michael Pretti emphasized that his son was not violent. “Alex cared about people. He worked in healthcare because he wanted to help. Whatever group he got involved with, I don’t believe he meant for things to end this way. But he wasn’t himself lately. We were worried.”
Pretti’s mother, Maria, fought back tears as she added: “He was our only child. We just wanted him safe. We told him to be careful. He said he would be.”
The family’s statements come amid growing calls for a full, independent investigation into the shooting. The ICE agent involved has been placed on administrative leave, and the Department of Justice is reviewing the incident. A separate civil rights lawsuit filed by Pretti’s family alleges excessive force and deliberate denial of medical aid.
DHS has maintained that the agents acted in self-defense after Pretti became combative during the operation. However, the physician’s affidavit — which claims agents counted bullet wounds instead of checking for a pulse or performing CPR — has fueled outrage and demands for bodycam footage release.
The emergence of Pretti’s recent behavior and phone messages has divided public opinion further. Supporters of ICE operations argue the details show Pretti may have been influenced by radical activist elements. Critics of the agency counter that personal circumstances do not justify lethal force against an unarmed man expressing dissent.
For Michael and Maria Pretti, the revelations bring no closure — only more questions.
“Our son is gone,” Michael said. “We just want the truth. All of it.”
“Our son is gone,” Michael said. “We just want the truth. All of it.”
As the investigation continues and protests persist outside ICE facilities in Minneapolis, one thing is painfully clear: a family’s grief has become part of a national reckoning.And the full story of Alex Pretti’s final days is only beginning to emerge.
