Oregon Lawmakers React With Fury After Federal Agents Kill VA Nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
Less than three weeks after the killing of Renee Good by federal agents in the streets of Minneapolis, ICE agents shot and killed another US citizen in the city yesterday- VA nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti. As the murders send shockwaves around the US and the world, Oregon lawmakers have reacted to the horrific incident.
What Happened to Alex Pretti in Minneapolis
Online videos show a disturbing account of the death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry, and some videos suggest a federal officer took a gun away before a Border Patrol agent fatally shot him.
Several reels show a group of federal agents surrounding Pretti, who falls to the ground as the agents pile onto him and appear to assault him. Several shots ring out as bystanders scream in horror. Federal and state officials have conflicting accounts of the events that led to Pretti’s death.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed that agents fired “defensive shots after Pretti reacted violently”, but Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described federal authorities’ account as “nonsense” and “lies.” While Pretti did have a gun, Border Patrol officers have not claimed that he brandished it, and it’s not visible in bystander videos of the shooting. Videos show him holding a cell phone.
Alex Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan, said, “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends, and also the American veterans whom he cared for… He was a good man.”
Oregon Leaders Condemn Federal Actions After Alex Pretti’s Death
In response to the tragic death of VA nurse Alex Pretti, several Oregon lawmakers have spoken out.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said at a press conference yesterday that violent confrontations would continue in Minneapolis because of the federal government’s tactics. She said, “They need to pull back on the agents who are there, work with local government, and resolve and de-escalate the situation. ”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and City Council President Jamie Dunphy issued a joint statement saying, “Today we witnessed the latest deadly result of turning American cities into a training ground for federal agents.”
US Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat, said on X called the shooting horrific and said it is “another senseless execution of a citizen by Trump’s lawless federal agents. Federal agents are terrorizing communities in Minnesota, Oregon, and across the country.”
US Rep. Maxine Dexter said, “Another person has been murdered in the streets of Minneapolis today by federal agents…in cold blood.” She said, “We are not safer because of ICE activity and CBP activity; we are, in fact, being terrorized by federal agents using taxpayer dollars. It has to stop.”
US Rep. Suzanne Bonamici said, “This brutality must end now, and the agent who pulled the trigger must be held accountable.”
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said, “Militarized, masked federal agents are escalating fear and making us all less safe.”
US Rep. Val Hoyle said, “ICE must stand down… ICE and CPB agents are not above the rule of law.”
US Rep. Andrea Salinas, a Democrat, said in a post on X that she was “horrified and outraged” by the Minneapolis shooting.
The Oregon Secretary of State, Tobias Read, said, “There is no compassion, no de-escalation, and no restraint.”
US Sen. Ron Wyden said footage of the shooting “shows Donald Trump’s lawless federal agents again out of control.” He said, “The Senate cannot vote to keep funding this…Every single agent complicit in these horrors should be put on trial at the state level for real accountability.”
Merkley also demanded the ouster of the Homeland Security Secretary: “Kristi Noem must go. Not one more penny for ICE.”
Vigils and demonstrations are taking place after the incident, amidst ongoing clashes with law enforcement. Portland also hosted a vigil for ICE and Border Patrol shooting victims.