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Parents of slain Minneapolis ICU nurse call out Trump admin's 'sickening lies'

The moment that the firearm of a man identified as Alex Pretti is retrieved from a waistband holster by a federal officer (in light grey jacket, crouched) as another officer (in green) draws his weapon, before Pretti was fatally shot in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 24, 2026 is seen in a still image of a video obtained by Reuters. VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. AN UNCROPPED AND UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY. VERIFICATION LINES: Reuters was able to verify the location and date of the videos from original file metadata. Buildings, road layout, trees and utility poles which matched file and satellite imagery of the place. The Department of Homeland Security said one of his agents fired shots in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday (January 24). Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed a shooting by federal agents took place on Saturday (January 24).

Robert Davis
January 25, 2026

The parents of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse killed by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on Saturday, called out the "sickening lies" President Donald Trump's administration is telling about their late son.

Michael and Susan Pretti shared a statement on Sunday, about 24 hours after their son was shot and killed by CBP agents at a protest against the Trump administration's immigration tactics. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) shared the statement on social media.

"We are heartbroken but also very angry," Michael and Susan Pretti's statement reads in part.

"Alex wanted to make a difference in this world," it continued. "Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact."

The Trump administration surged immigration agents into Minneapolis last month following reports of public benefits fraud committed by Somali community members. The operation has been met with fierce pushback from the community, and confrontations have led to multiple shootings, including the death of another 37-year-old community member, Renee Good.

Good's death sparked nationwide protests and renewed calls for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to be impeached. Those calls have grown louder since Pretti died on Saturday, with Democrats saying they will shut down the government unless Trump's immigration regime changes its tactics.

Like Good, the Trump administration has claimed Pretti put officers' lives in danger, although that claim appears to be contradicted by available video evidence. Administration officials have also described Pretti as a "domestic terrorist," a claim that Pretti's parents forcefully denied.

"The sickening lies told about our son are reprehensible and disgusting," the statement reads. "Alex is clearly not holding a gun when he is attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs."

"Please get the truth out about our son," it added. "He was a good man."

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