Minneapolis shooting: Alex Pretti, Green Bay graduate, killed

MILWAUKEE - Alex Pretti, the man shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, grew up in Wisconsin before moving to Minnesota to attend college.

Green Bay graduate

Local perspective:

The Associated Press reported that Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was born in Illinois but grew up in Green Bay. He played football, baseball and ran track for Preble High School. He was a Boy Scout and sang in the Green Bay Boy Choir.

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After graduation, Pretti went to the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment, according to family. He worked as a research scientist before returning to school to become a registered nurse, and he worked for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as an intensive care nurse at a VA hospital.

Court records showed Pretti had no criminal record, and his family said he had never had any interactions with law enforcement beyond a handful of traffic tickets.

What they're saying:

Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich released a statement, calling for a proper investigation into Saturday's shooting:

"Another American citizen is dead as the result of the federal government's occupation of an American city, and the victim, Alex Pretti, was a graduate of a Green Bay high school. Without knowing all the facts of the case, we can say with certainty that a full, transparent, and independent investigation must be conducted. 

"I mourn his tragic death with his friends and family, and join the chorus of Americans who are rightfully demanding the federal government change course and enforce immigration law in keeping with local, state, and federal laws and the U.S. Constitution."

Minneapolis shooting

Big picture view:

The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was shot after he "approached" Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officials did not specify if he brandished the gun. In bystander videos of the shooting that emerged soon after, Pretti is seen with a phone in his hand but none appears to show him with a visible weapon.

Border Patrol Commander-At-Large Greg Bovino claims the shooting was justified because Pretti was carrying a gun. Bovino said Pretti had two loaded magazines and no identification. Bovino did not state if Pretti pulled a gun or where the gun was when he was shot. 

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Video from the scene shows Pretti on the ground after being tackled by Border Patrol agents. Another video shows an agent removing the gun from Pretti's waistband before another agent opened fire several times, killing him. 

Family members said Pretti owned a handgun and had a permit to carry a concealed handgun in Minnesota. They said they had never known him to carry it. His ex-wife said he got a permit to carry a concealed firearm about three years ago and that he owned at least one semiautomatic handgun when they separated more than two years ago.

Pretti lived in a condominium about 2 miles from where he was shot. Neighbors described him as quiet and warmhearted, and said they knew he had guns – he’d occasionally take a rifle to shoot at a gun range – but were surprised at the idea that he might carry a pistol on the streets.

Continued coverage

Dig deeper:

FOX6 News is keeping track of updates from FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul as coverage continues in the Twin Cities. 

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