Minneapolis is still reeling after the shocking death of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse whose life was cut short during a federal immigration operation.

According to DHS, two federal officers fired shots during the encounter — but eyewitnesses and bystander video tell a very different story. Pretti, who had no criminal record beyond minor traffic tickets, appears on video holding a phone, filming the scene before being pepper-sprayed, tackled, and shot.

❤️ Remembering Alex Pretti

Family and friends describe him as a dedicated nurse, a community supporter, and someone who helped people for a living, not a threat. Yet federal agencies painted a different picture, calling him aggressive. Even former President Trump weighed in, saying he doesn’t think Pretti was acting as an “assassin,” contradicting earlier statements from DHS leadership.

“We are heartbroken but also very angry,” reads a statement from Alex’s parents. “Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact.”

🔥 Community Outrage & Federal Fallout

The tragedy has sparked protests, heated debates over federal enforcement in Minneapolis, and calls for an independent investigation.

According to reports from PEOPLE, over five witnesses have recalled the tragic turn of events. Within a sworn affidavit, a woman issued details of Alex as being a helping hand during the protest. From directing traffic to filing the scene on his cell phone.

She says that Alex walked over to provide support and to film observers who were threatened with pepper spray by ICE agents. “[Pretti] put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him. Then [Pretti] tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying,” the woman wrote. “It didn’t look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up.”

As some federal agents prepare to leave the city, the community is left asking the hard questions: How did a life-saving nurse end up dead in a confrontation that should have never happened?