Alex Jeffrey Pretti

Alex Jeffrey Pretti (1988-2026) was a 37-year-old American intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System. He was shot and killed on January 24, 2026, by two U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis during protests against Operation Metro Surge. Multiple news organizations, including Reuters, the BBC, and The New York Times, reviewed bystander video and concluded he was holding a cell phone, not a firearm, in the moments before he was tackled. The killing prompted nationwide protests, statements from the NRA and Gun Owners of America, and a 2026 federal investigation.