Family of Man Killed by Federal Officers: 'They Murdered Our Child'
Seven months after Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, his family says no one has been held accountable.
The family of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis on January 24, spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with ABC News' "Good Morning America."
"We've seen what happened. The videos are pretty clear. But we want justice. We want accountability for the people that did this to Alex," his father, Michael Pretti, said, joined by his wife, Susan, and daughter, Micayla.
Pretti was killed roughly two weeks after another U.S. citizen, Renee Good, was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis during the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge" immigration crackdown. Both shootings prompted nationwide outrage.
Eyewitness video shows a federal officer shoving a woman into Pretti, who appeared to try to help her before being wrestled to the ground. His legally permitted firearm was removed by an officer while he was on the ground, and about 10 shots were fired shortly after, the footage shows.
His parents said they learned of the shooting while watching news coverage on television. "That's how we found out, watching it on TV. Watching our son be shot ten times on TV," Michael Pretti said. Susan Pretti added, "In the back."
After the shooting, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti "committed an act of domestic terrorism," and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called him an "assassin" and "domestic terrorist" on social media. President Donald Trump called Pretti an "agitator" and "perhaps" an "insurrectionist."
"It's ridiculous that the leader of the free world speaks that way about an American citizen," Michael Pretti said. Susan Pretti said she wants an apology.
The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation, but the family's attorney, Steve Schleicher, said they still don't know its status. A DOJ spokesperson said family communications typically come later in a case, such as at indictment or trial. DHS said the investigation remains active; the FBI declined to comment.
Micayla Pretti said she wants the names of the agents who shot her brother officially released. "They murdered our child," Susan Pretti said. "People need to be held responsible when they murder people in this country. Period."
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
