Video shows Alex Pretti giving veteran he treated in ICU final salute
As the community grieves the loss of Alex Pretti, the man shot and killed by a federal agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, those who knew him say he was a person who helped others.
Mac Randolph says Pretti was his father's intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. He shared a video that shows Pretti giving Randolph's father his final salute after he died.
"Today, we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it," Pretti says in the video. "May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served, so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom. So in this moment, we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of freedom. In this solemn hour, we render our honor and our gratitude."
Pretti was an avid outdoorsman who loved getting in adventures with Joule, his beloved Catahoula Leopard dog, who also recently died, his family said. He had participated in protests following the killing of Renee Good, who was shot behind the wheel of her SUV by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer earlier this month.
Pretti's mother said he cared immensely about the direction the county was headed, especially the Trump administration's rollback of environmental regulations.
"He hated that, you know, people were just trashing the land," Susan Pretti said. "He was an outdoorsman. He took his dog everywhere he went. You know, he loved this country, but he hated what people were doing to it."
Pretti grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he played football, baseball and ran track for Preble High School. He was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir.
After graduation, he went to the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in biology, society and the environment, according to the family. He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse.
Neighbors described Pretti as quiet and warmhearted.
"I didn't know Alex super well, but he was a great guy and neighbor," one neighbor told WCCO. "He loved his car and took very good care of it. He used to have a dog who passed around a year or two ago, I think. I remember how sweet it was that, as his dog was more elderly, less mobile, he'd be willing to carry him down to the yard to get some fresh air and to enjoy the outdoors. His dog would lay down and Alex would sit with him and pet him for long periods of time. He was very caring, you could tell. We are all heartbroken and are praying for his family and friends and for justice for him."
The Department of Homeland Security said the shooting happened after Pretti "approached" U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if Pretti brandished the gun, and it is not visible in bystander videos of the shooting obtained and verified by CBS News, the Associated Press and other outlets.
Videos from the scene show that Pretti was holding a cellphone, not a gun, when he was shot. An agent can be seen emerging from the scuffle with a gun and turning away from the man when the first shot is fired.
Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota.
While Minnesota officials called Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's claims that Pretti was engaged in domestic terrorism "nonsense" and "lies," Pretti's parents called the administration's claims "reprehensible and disgusting."
