The sister of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse fatally shot by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis, has condemned what she calls “disgusting lies” spread about her brother by White House officials.
Micayla Pretti said: “When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough? Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching. All Alex ever wanted was to help someone, anyone. Even in his very last moments on this Earth, he was simply trying to do just that.”
Pretti, a US citizen and nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was shot dead on Saturday during a federal immigration enforcement operation. His death sparked protests amid conflicting accounts from federal authorities, local officials and witnesses. Video evidence shows Pretti holding a mobile phone, not a firearm, before being pepper-sprayed, restrained and shot. Federal authorities initially claimed he approached officers with a handgun, but this has been contradicted by footage and witness testimony.
Senior Trump administration officials, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, described Pretti as a “wannabe assassin” and accused him of domestic terrorism. The family’s statement called the claims “reprehensible and disgusting”, noting that Pretti was a lawful gun owner with no criminal record.
The killing occurred amid an intensified immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, which has led to mass demonstrations and legal challenges.
