1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand a full independent investigation and prosecution of the federal agents who killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, in Minneapolis on Saturday. Two eyewitnesses have provided sworn testimony in federal court directly contradicting the Trump administration's claim that Pretti brandished a weapon. A children's entertainer who filmed the shooting from five feet away testified that Pretti approached agents with a camera, not a gun, after coming to the aid of a woman federal officers had shoved to the ground. She stated that four or five agents tackled Pretti to the ground and shot him repeatedly, even though he was not resisting and posed no threat. She explicitly contradicted the DHS statement, saying Pretti "did not approach the agents with a gun." A 29-year-old physician who witnessed the shooting from their apartment window corroborated this account, testifying they saw no weapon and no attack. When this physician attempted to render medical aid, ICE agents initially prevented them from helping. Upon finally reaching Pretti, the doctor found at least three bullet wounds in his back, one in his upper left chest, and another possible wound in his neck. The agents were not performing CPR but instead appeared to be counting bullet wounds. These sworn affidavits, submitted as part of an ACLU lawsuit against Kristi Noem and other homeland security officials, reveal that an unarmed American citizen was shot multiple times in the back while trying to help another person. Senior Trump administration officials, including the president, homeland security secretary, and border patrol commander Greg Bovino, falsely called Pretti a "gunman" who threatened to "massacre" federal officers. This killing demands accountability. I urge you to call for an immediate independent investigation by the Department of Justice and to support prosecution of the agents responsible for this shooting. Federal agents cannot be allowed to kill unarmed citizens and then lie about the circumstances without consequence.