Who was Alex Jeffrey Pretti, the nurse killed during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis?

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara earlier said the man, aged 37, was killed during the incident but declined to release his identity, citing the early stage of the investigation. He added that authorities were still working to determine the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.

In a statement, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said federal officers were carrying out an immigration enforcement operation under the Trump administration’s crackdown when a man armed with a handgun approached them and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him.

Officers fired what the department described as “defensive shots.” O’Hara later said investigators believe the man was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit to carry.

In a nearly 3-minute video, a woman recording the incident can be heard screaming in disbelief as officers surround Pretti. “What the f*** is wrong with you?” she shouts moments before gunfire erupts.

A gunshot is heard, though the source is unclear due to officers surrounding the man. Additional shots follow moments later. Officers then retreat, leaving the man lying motionless on the street.

Following the shooting, Chief O’Hara appealed for restraint, calling on both the public and federal law enforcement agencies to act responsibly.

“Our demand today is for those federal agencies operating in our city to do so with discipline, humanity and integrity,” he said, urging residents to remain peaceful despite what he acknowledged was widespread anger and confusion.

The shooting occurred amid daily protests across the Twin Cities that began after the January 7 killing of 37-year-old Renee Good, who died when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fired into her vehicle. Saturday’s incident unfolded just over a mile from where Good was shot.

An angry crowd gathered after the shooting, hurling insults at federal officers and chanting slogans demanding ICE leave Minnesota. Some protesters blocked streets with dumpsters, while officers deployed batons and flash-bang devices to disperse the crowd. Video footage shows one officer responding sarcastically to protesters as he walked away.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said he spoke with the White House following the shooting and urged President Donald Trump to halt what the Department of Homeland Security has described as its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.

“Minnesota has had it,” Walz said in a social media post. “This is sickening. The president must end this operation.”

The shooting came a day after thousands of demonstrators braved frigid temperatures to protest federal immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, demanding that federal agents leave the city.

Who was Alex Jeffrey Pretti? 

Pretti worked as an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, where he cared for critically ill veterans.

He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a nursing degree and had previously worked as a research scientist before entering nursing.

Family and friends described him as compassionate, dedicated, and deeply committed to helping people. He loved outdoor activities and was known as an avid outdoorsman, said reports.

At the time of the shooting, Pretti was participating in protests in Minneapolis against federal immigration enforcement following the recent killing of another resident by an ICE officer earlier in January.

Videos from the scene show him holding his phone and attempting to help others before he was pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground by multiple agents, and shot.

He had a Minnesota concealed-carry permit and no significant criminal history, according to local officials