Colleagues at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center held a moment of silence to honor ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, after he was fatally shot during an encounter with federal immigration agents. Photos posted to social media show staff lined along ICU corridors mourning his death. Political figures reacted strongly in the hours after the shooting, and some statements were later softened as details remained under investigation. Family, coworkers and a hiring physician remembered Pretti as compassionate and a mentor; a 2024 video of him saluting a veteran went viral over the weekend.
Minneapolis VA Staff Hold Silent Tribute for ICU Nurse Alex Pretti After Fatal Shooting
Alex Pretti's colleagues hold a moment a moment of silence at Minneapolis VA Health Care System hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota. / Garrett Peterson
Colleagues at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center held a solemn moment of silence on Monday to honor ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, who was fatally shot over the weekend during an encounter with federal immigration agents in Minneapolis.
Pretti, 37, was gunned down by multiple masked agents in a Minneapolis street on Saturday. / Garrett Peterson
Tribute At The Hospital
Photographs shared on social media show staff lining the intensive care unit corridors with bowed heads. In one image, a co-worker buries his face in his hands as colleagues pay their respects. The photos were posted to Facebook by Garrett Peterson, a colleague of Pretti’s, who wrote, "A moment of silence for Alex Pretti. One of our colleagues!! May he rest in peace."
Family, friends, and colleagues of Pretti have described Pretti as a “kindhearted soul” and a cherished mentor to new ICU nurses. / Department of Veterans Affairs
What Happened
Officials say Pretti was shot on a Minneapolis street when multiple masked federal immigration agents wrestled him to the pavement while he recorded them during a deportation operation. Investigations and public accounts of the incident are ongoing.
One worker is seen burying his face in his hands. / Garrett Peterson
Reactions And Controversy
The shooting prompted sharply worded public statements from national political figures. Republican Governor Kristi Noem and Senator J.D. Vance publicly criticized Pretti in the immediate aftermath; those characterizations were later softened by some in the Trump administration as details continued to emerge. The exchange has intensified scrutiny of the agents' tactics and the public response.
A video showing Pretti giving a final salute to a veteran he treated in the ICU in 2024 went viral over the weekend. / Garrett Peterson
Remembering Pretti
Family members, friends and co-workers described Pretti as a compassionate nurse and a mentor to newly hired ICU staff. Dr. Aasma Shaukat, who hired Pretti in 2014 as a research assistant in the Minneapolis VA Health Care System’s clinical research program, told CNN’s Erin Burnett that he was "very calm" and displayed "a lot of empathy and compassion that shone through."
Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, issued a statement saying: "Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world."
Viral Video
A video clip from 2024 showing Pretti giving a final salute to a veteran he treated in the ICU circulated widely over the weekend. In the clip, Pretti addresses the audience about the cost of freedom and the importance of remembering veterans’ service.
"Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it... In this solemn hour, we render our honor and our gratitude." — Alex Pretti
Authorities continue investigating the circumstances of the shooting. Hospital staff, family and community members have called for transparency and a thorough review of the events that led to Pretti’s death.
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