‘Shameful’: Alex Pretti’s parents accuse Trump officials of shielding son’s killers

During their first public remarks since their son's death in January, the couple made their accusations at a press conference, calling for accountability from the Department of Justice. They revealed that federal officials have not provided them with meaningful information about the case.

Government Contradicted by Video

Alex Pretti died on January 24 after being fatally shot by federal immigration agents. The Trump administration initially portrayed him as a domestic terrorist who was armed and attempting to harm agents during immigration operations in Minnesota. However, video footage of the incident showed Pretti had a cellphone in his hand and did not brandish a weapon or attack agents before they shot him in the back as he lay in the street.

Family Seeks Justice

The Prettis spoke publicly after Attorney General Todd Blanche and Minnesota's top federal prosecutor Dan Rosen stonewalled them. Rosen only agreed to meet with them in July after months of outreach but declined to provide basic information about the investigation status. Minnesota officials recently revealed the federal government stopped sharing information with state investigators looking into Pretti's death and that of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer during a protest in January.

The couple described the past year as miserable for their family. We're not asking for anything other than accountability and for the Department of Justice and Dan Rosen to do their jobs, Susan Pretti said. "Alex was murdered nine months ago. It's difficult to get up every day, to function, to be a parent, knowing that your child is never coming home."

In a statement to Reuters, the Department of Justice explained that communications with family members, if any, come at a later stage of a case, such as indictment, initial appearance, plea, trial, or sentencing. Those communications do not typically occur during an investigation.