Michael and Susan Pretti say the Trump administration has told "sickening lies" about their firstborn child, who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 27
US Department of Veteran Affairs
NEED TO KNOW
- Alex Pretti’s parents have spoken out in their first sit-down interview since his death
- The 37-year-old ICU nurse was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents while he was observing a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis on Jan. 24
- “He’s my firstborn. He’s the one that made me a mother,” Susan Pretti told The New York Times. “There was no reason he should have died that day”
The parents of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 24, have given their first sit-down interview about their late son.
Michael and Susan Pretti spoke with The New York Times for a profile on Alex published on Tuesday, Feb. 10, just under three weeks after their son's chaotic death was captured on video and viewed by millions on social media.
The Prettis said they mute the television and close their eyes whenever the footage of his shooting is shown. Even still, Michael noted, "It’s so clear as to what happened."
Alex was attending a protest against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis on the day of his death. When he approached a group of immigration agents in order to help another protester who had been pushed to the ground, they grabbed him and forced him to the ground before shooting him multiple times in the back.
Alex often carried a handgun at protests, as he had a valid permit. And his parents say he told them about the confrontation he had with federal agents on Jan. 13, just days before his death. Video from that incident showed him kicking the back of a vehicle and spitting towards an agent before he was tackled and briefly detained.
However, the Prettis' lawyer, Steven Schleicher, who worked on the George Floyd trial, said, "Nothing that happened a full week before could possibly have justified Alex’s killing."
Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty
In the aftermath of Alex's death, the Trump administration made several public comments that sought to justify Border Patrol's actions.
The president labeled Alex an ''insurrectionist'' and "agitator." White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who also serves as Trump's homeland security adviser, branded Alex as a "domestic terrorist" who "tried to assassinate federal law enforcement." The Department of Homeland Security claimed that Alex “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun” and “violently resisted” attempts to disarm him before an agent "fired defensive shots" at the suspect.
Alex's parents characterized the statements as "sickening lies." Video evidence suggests that he never drew his gun and was disarmed by an officer before being fatally shot.
“His last act on this earth, his last thought, was to help this woman,” Michael said. "The truth is, he was an exceptionally kind, caring man."
“It’s who he was, every day,” Susan added. “He’s the same Alex he always was.”
Alex's caring nature led him to the protest in the first place, his parents said. Michael recalled speaking to his son on the phone as the ICE activity in Minneapolis reached a boiling point.
“He said, ‘Mom, they’re kidnapping kids,’ ” Michael recalled. “‘Why would anybody do that? Why would people treat each other like that? That just doesn’t make any sense. There’s no reason to.’ ”
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On Feb. 2, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled that Alex's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and the manner of death was homicide.
Schleicher said that the Prettis are seeking “facts and accountability” about the day their son was killed.
“He’s my firstborn,” Susan said. “He’s the one that made me a mother. There was no reason he should have died that day.”
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