Alex Pretti Killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota on January 25, 2026 – ICU Nurse Fatally Shot by Border Patrol Agent Amid Protest Tensions

On January 25, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was fatally shot during an encounter with a Border Patrol agent. Federal officials stated that Pretti approached officers while armed with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Family members have disputed that account, citing bystander video that they say shows him holding a phone at the time he was tackled and shot. The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under scrutiny.

Pretti worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, where he cared for military veterans and was described by colleagues and patients’ families as attentive and composed. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, he had previously worked as a research scientist before becoming a registered nurse. In the days following his death, community members gathered near the site of the shooting to hold a vigil. Federal authorities have characterized the incident as a response to a perceived threat, while Pretti’s family has publicly rejected assertions that he acted as a violent aggressor.