South Minneapolis neighborhood seeks permanent memorial for Alex Pretti

More than nine months after Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents in south Minneapolis, a memorial at the site of his death continues to draw visitors and serve as a place for reflection.

Now, residents and community leaders are beginning to determine what a permanent memorial could look like.

The current memorial on Nicollet Avenue has stood since the January shooting and has been a gathering place for neighbors and those who want to remember Pretti.

"I think part of what is so wonderful about it is the care and attention that goes into tending it," said Anna Schmitz, executive director of the Whittier Alliance.

But Schmitz said maintaining the memorial in its current form may not be sustainable long term. That's why the Whittier Alliance recently hosted a community meeting to gather ideas about the future of the space and how best to honor Pretti's life and legacy.

Participants filled pages of feedback, writing their thoughts on sticky notes during the Saturday afternoon meeting.

"People want a memorial that honors who Alex was as a person, as a human being, and they also want something that speaks to the context and the history and why he was killed and why that space is significant," Schmitz said.

The memorial's final form, and who will oversee its creation, is still undecided. The location itself is also still under discussion, since the current memorial sits along the busy south Minneapolis street.

Schmitz believes the Twin Cities' artistic community can help create something meaningful.

"We have many wonderful, talented artists in the city, in the metro area, and I'm confident that somebody will find a way to integrate all of these meaningful pieces of memory and find a way to make it something beautiful that honors Alex as a person and this time in the neighborhood," she said.

Schmitz said there have also been discussions with the neighborhood association where Renee Good was killed for the construction of a long-term memorial.

The Whittier Alliance is collecting public feedback on its Whittier Alliance memorial planning page.