The family of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse killed by Customs and Border Protection agents during a January immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, renewed their calls for accountability and transparency on Tuesday, seven months after his death.
In an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America," Susan Pretti, Alex's mother, expressed frustration over the lack of progress. "I was not shocked that he helped somebody. My shock is that he was murdered and no one has given us the complete truth or anyone has been held accountable," she said. "And it's been seven months."
The shooting and its aftermath
Witnesses reported that Pretti, 37, was recording immigration officers with his cellphone while attempting to assist a woman who had been pushed to the ground by an agent. Officers then surrounded him, and one appeared to wrestle away his legally permitted firearm before two agents fired multiple shots, killing him.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide. Although the two officers involved were charged with use of force, they have not faced charges for the killing itself.
Susan Pretti, joined by her husband Michael and daughter Micayla, criticized the administration's response, saying there was "more effort in vilifying him than pursuing justice, investigating this."
Administration's rhetoric
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Pretti of engaging in an "act of domestic terrorism" for allegedly endangering agents' lives, echoing her characterization of Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident killed by ICE officers earlier that month. Other officials, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, labeled Pretti a "domestic terrorist" and an "assassin," while President Trump suggested on Truth Social that he might have been an "insurrectionist."
Michael Pretti called the remarks "un-presidential," saying, "It's ridiculous that the leader of the free world speaks that way about an American citizen." He maintained that his son was merely observing the immigration operation, not protesting, and had a deep commitment to his community.
"We've seen what happened," Michael Pretti said. "The videos are pretty clear. But we want justice. We want accountability for the people that did this to Alex."
The family learned of his death while watching news coverage of the enforcement actions, seeing their son "be shot 10 times on TV," as his father described.
Legal and investigative developments
Steve Schleicher, the family's attorney, told ABC News that the family deserves to know who fired the fatal shots and that those responsible should be prosecuted.
The Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting shortly after Pretti's death, with the FBI and a Homeland Security division assisting. Attorney General Todd Blanche, then deputy attorney general, had previously stated that Pretti's actions did not meet the "legal definition of domestic terrorism," but later said he was "not committing to anything" regarding the investigation's outcome.
Last month, Minnesota officials obtained body camera footage and other evidence from federal authorities related to both Pretti's and Good's shootings, a development that Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called "a positive development" in the pursuit of justice.
The Pretti family's demand for answers comes amid broader scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics and the administration's handling of related deaths, including the ongoing tensions in U.S.-Iran relations that have also drawn political attention.
