(NewsNation) — Details began to emerge Saturday about the 37-year-old man killed by Border Patrol in Minneapolis Sunday.
The Associated Press reports that Alex Jeffrey Pretti was an intensive-care nurse at the Veterans Administration. His family tells the AP that Pretti was upset by the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and the recent death of Renee Good, a motorist who was fatally shot by an ICE officer Jan. 10.
A co-worker tells The New York Times that Pretti was a kind-hearted friend with a sense of humor who was passionate about his job.
“He wanted to be helpful, to help humanity and have a career that was a force of good in the world,” Ruth Anway said.
Was Alex Pretti armed?
Federal authorities say Pretti had a firearm on him when he scuffled with federal agents at 26th and Nicollet. They characterized him as someone who was looking to harm officers as they were on an enforcement operation.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters that the Minneapolis resident had a permit to carry the gun legally and had no serious criminal history. Minnesota is a so-called “open carry” state, meaning anyone with a valid permit can have a firearm without concealing it, although some spaces are prohibited.
Federal officials have not said whether Pretti brandished the weapon during his encounter with immigration authorities.
Pretti attended the University of Minnesota and was issued a nursing license in 2021, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
