After a fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis, a grieving family issued a plea. Their words have since echoed nationwide, drawing support from celebrities and national leaders.Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was shot and killed by federal immigration enforcement in south Minneapolis on Saturday morning. He was a U.S. citizen, born in Illinois, and had lived and worked in Minnesota for several years.Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, later issued a public statement in response to the shooting. In it, they challenged the version of events shared by government officials and spoke about their son’s life and character, calling him “kindhearted” and devoted to his family, friends, and the veterans he cared for.

“Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact,” they wrote. “I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman.”According to the family, Pretti had no criminal history and had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a few traffic tickets. Court records support that claim.Minnesota officials also disputed remarks made by Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem, who described Pretti as a domestic terror threat. Officials in the state dismissed those claims as “nonsense” and “lies,” while the Pretti family called the administration’s version of events “reprehensible and disgusting.”