Minneapolis NAACP Calls for Justice After Alex Pretti Killed by Federal Agent
Community leaders and the Minneapolis NAACP held a press conference following the killing of Alex Pretti, 37, who was shot and killed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent near East 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue. Speakers called for accountability, independent investigations, and disciplined, peaceful community response as concerns grow about federal enforcement tactics under Operation Metro Surge.
Community leaders and members of the Minneapolis NAACP held a press conference Jan. 24 following the death of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed earlier that day by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent near East 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was identified by family members and officials, according to NBC News.
In a public statement, Pretti’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, described their son as kind and deeply compassionate.
“We are heartbroken but also so very angry,” the statement read. “Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital.”
The killing has sparked public outrage, protests and renewed debate between local leaders and federal law enforcement agencies operating in the Twin Cities.
Pretti’s death comes less than two weeks after the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Jan. 7. Good’s death prompted protests calling for accountability and for ICE to leave the city.
During the press conference, community leaders called for justice, independent investigations and changes to federal law enforcement tactics.
“We’re here to have a dialogue because we’ve been doing all of the right things,” said Cynthia Wilson, president of the Minneapolis NAACP. “We’re protesting peacefully. We’re showing our state, our city and America that we are the template right now for how communities respond.”
Leaders also raised concerns about what they described as a broader pattern of deadly force during “Operation Metro Surge,” a federal immigration enforcement initiative that has deployed thousands of armed Department of Homeland Security agents, including Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs Border Protection (CBP), into the Twin Cities.
“We’re not doing George Floyd again. We’re not rebuilding our city again,” Wilson said. “There’s no way, in my 60 years of life, that I ever thought I would see a time when our country declares war on its own people.”
Wilson urged residents to remain committed to peace, even amid grief and anger.
Pastor Richard Pittman, president of the Minnesota and Dakota State Conference NAACP, challenged early narratives surrounding Pretti’s death.
“They’re already trying to create a narrative that somehow he was at fault for trying to help a woman up off the ground,” Pittman said.
Pittman alleged that Pretti was attempting to help a woman who had slipped on ice when he was confronted by federal officers.
“He was trying to be human,” Pittman said. “Not thinking that he was about to lose his life.”
Pittman described the shooting as a violation of basic human dignity and called for accountability.
“No badge, no uniform, no federal authority gives anyone the right to act as judge, jury and executioner on the street,” he said.
Dr. Yohuru Williams, founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, placed the incident within a broader national context.
“What we are witnessing is the crumbling of the architecture of our republic before our very eyes,” Williams said.
Williams emphasized that the impact of federal violence extends across communities.
“When white people in our community are now being killed, these are the very things that we warned about,” he said. “We plead for justice and for peace.”
Bria Garner, health and wellness chair for the Minneapolis NAACP, addressed the mental health toll of militarized immigration enforcement.
“These tactics elevate stress, anxiety and depression, and they worsen physical symptoms,” Garner said. “They re-traumatize people who have lived through violence.”
Protests erupted along Nicollet Avenue despite freezing temperatures, as demonstrators demanded accountability and expressed solidarity with Pretti’s family.
Ward 5 Minneapolis City Council member Pearl Warren spoke to the importance of disciplined resistance.
“Peaceful protest is not weakness,” Warren said. “It’s discipline. It’s wisdom under pressure.”
Rep. Xp Lee, who represents District 34B in the Minnesota House, called for unity.
“What will overcome their cruelty will be our love,” Lee said. “We show that love through community support.”
As the city continues to grapple with the aftermath, NAACP leaders urged residents to remain vigilant.
“The truth of the matter is everybody is a target,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re documented or not. Be safe. Be wise.”
She also pointed to spiritual resilience.
“The most effective and least used tool is prayer,” Wilson said.
Lizzy Nyoike is a Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication student.