Alex Pretti’s sister has issued an emotional public tribute to her brother, while forcefully condemning what she described as widespread misinformation circulating in the aftermath of his fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Micayla Pretti shared a statement expressing both grief and anger, describing her brother Alex Pretti, 37, as a kind, generous, and deeply compassionate person whose life was defined by helping others.
She said Alex had a rare ability to make people feel safe and valued, and emphasized that beyond the public debate, he was first and foremost her brother.
“Alex was kind, generous, and had a way of lighting up every room he walked into,” Micayla Pretti said.
“He was incredibly intelligent and deeply passionate. But most importantly, he was my brother.
I had the privilege of being his little sister for 32 years. I will never be able to hug him, laugh with him, or cry to him again, and that pain is impossible to fully put into words.”
She noted that Alex’s lifelong goal was simply “to help someone — anyone,” pointing to his work as an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, where he cared for seriously ill patients, many of them military veterans. “My brother is, and always will be, my hero,” she added.
Micayla Pretti also denounced what she described as the politicization of her brother’s death, saying it has been devastating to hear what she called false and harmful claims made about him since the shooting.
“Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother has been absolutely gut-wrenching,” she said.
“When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough?”
Alex Pretti was shot and killed in Minneapolis while participating in a protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Cell phone videos recorded from multiple angles show Pretti among a group of demonstrators, appearing unarmed and nonviolent in the moments before he was tackled, pepper-sprayed, and shot by federal agents.
Despite the video evidence, members of the Trump administration have publicly claimed the agents acted in self-defense.
Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, told reporters that Pretti “impeded law enforcement officers and attacked them,” going as far as to label him a “domestic terrorist.”
Similar claims were echoed by Greg Bovino, a U.S. Border Patrol commander, during an interview with CNN journalist Dana Bash, where Bovino alleged that Pretti was actively assaulting law enforcement at the time of the shooting.
Those assertions have been strongly disputed by Pretti’s family and by other public officials.
Alex’s parents, Susan Pretti and Michael Pretti, released a separate statement condemning what they called “sickening lies” told about their son by government officials.
“Please get the truth out about our son,” Susan and Michael Pretti said. “He was a good man.”
Alex Pretti’s death has drawn national attention, reigniting debate over federal immigration enforcement, the use of force during protests, and official accountability.
As investigations continue, his family says their focus remains on preserving his memory as a caregiver, a protector, and a man who dedicated his life to helping others — not the version of events they say has been falsely constructed in the days since his death.
