MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — Seven months after Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by two federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, his family has spoken publicly in its first television interview, saying they are still waiting for answers and demanding that those responsible be held accountable.
Pretti was killed on January 24, 2026, during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation known as Operation Metro Surge. He worked as an intensive-care nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and had previously been involved in scientific research at the University of Minnesota.
His parents, Michael Pretti and Susan Pretti, and his sister, Micayla Pretti, sat down with George Stephanopoulos for an interview that aired on ABC’s Good Morning America on August 25.
Michael said the family wants the complete facts surrounding his son’s death and accountability for the officers involved. The family says that, despite the seven months that have passed, it still does not know the officially released identities of the two officers who fired at Alex.
The family also revealed the devastating way they discovered what had happened. Micayla said her husband initially received a call from an unknown person asking whether they knew an “Alex J. Pretti” who might have been involved in an incident with immigration officers.
When the family could not reach Alex, they began searching for information. His parents ultimately recognized their son while watching television footage of the confrontation, identifying him through his jacket and sunglasses. They said no government official had informed them before they saw the images themselves.
Video from the January encounter became central to the controversy. The footage reviewed by ABC News shows Pretti apparently recording federal immigration activity with his cellphone when an officer pushed a woman toward him. Pretti appeared to move to assist her before several officers brought him to the ground.
Pretti was legally carrying a firearm and had a permit to do so. According to ABC News’ review of the footage, an officer removed the firearm while Pretti was on the ground and before approximately 10 shots were fired.
The incident occurred roughly two weeks after another U.S. citizen, Renee Good, was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, intensifying national scrutiny of federal immigration operations in Minnesota.
In the immediate aftermath of Pretti’s death, senior Trump administration officials publicly characterized his actions in extremely serious terms. Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and former Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino made statements portraying Pretti as a threat to officers. President Donald Trump subsequently described him as an “agitator” and suggested he might have been an “insurrectionist.”
The Pretti family strongly rejects those characterizations. Michael said he believed more effort was initially devoted to portraying his son negatively than to explaining what happened. Susan said she wants an apology for the statements made about Alex.
A federal civil-rights investigation into the shooting remains active. The Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and FBI have been involved, according to information provided to ABC News.
Attorney Steve Schleicher, who represents the Pretti family, said the family deserves to know who shot Alex and to receive meaningful information about the investigation. Schleicher previously wrote to then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about the case. The family met with the U.S. attorney in Minnesota on July 13, but their lawyer said that meeting left them with additional questions.
There has been some movement in the parallel Minnesota investigation. In July, federal authorities turned over evidence concerning the deaths of both Alex Pretti and Renee Good to Minnesota prosecutors, after state authorities had previously complained about difficulties obtaining evidence from the federal government.
Still, as of the latest reporting, the two officers who fired at Pretti have not had their names officially released, although some news organizations have reported identities independently. No criminal charges against the officers have been announced.
For Michael, Susan and Micayla Pretti, their demand seven months later remains straightforward: they want the complete investigation, the official identities of the officers who fired, and a determination of whether anyone will face legal consequences for Alex’s death.
“We want justice. We want accountability,” Michael.