The killing of Veterans Affairs nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by U.S. Border Patrol personnel has drawn a strong response from veterans, with many denouncing the slaying and others calling for a political audit of personnel working at the VA.
A statement on X on Sunday from VA Secretary Doug Collins drew more than 2.7 million views and 6,000 responses by mid-day Monday.
In his message, Collins confirmed that Pretti was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center and sent the VA’s condolences. He also weighed in, however, on the turmoil facing Minneapolis as a result of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations.
“As President Trump has said, nobody wants to see chaos and death in American cities. … Such tragedies are unfortunately happening in Minnesota because of state and local officials’ refusal to cooperate with the federal government to enforce the law and deport dangerous illegal criminals,” wrote Collins, an Air Force colonel and chaplain.
The statement sparked outrage from followers and calls from progressive advocacy groups, such as VoteVets, for Collins’s resignation.
“This happened because some fake, wannabe soldiers marched down the street looking to intimidate and rough up people. If you can’t stand up for your employees who serve us veterans, resign,” wrote VoteVets on X.
Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Independent Veterans of America, noted that Collins took more than a day to issue a statement about a VA employee’s death, and when it arrived, it was “disgraceful,” he said.
“[Collins] always and clearly cares more about loyalty to Trump than loyalty to veterans. Every one can see what this is. And what Collins is. Especially veterans. Alex Pretti, veterans and America — all deserve so much better,” Reickhoff wrote in a post on X.
Pretti was killed Saturday by a law enforcement officer as he participated in a protest over immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota. Shortly after the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security said Pretti had been shot after he “approached” officers with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun.
Pretti was a gun owner with a concealed carry permit; law enforcement officials said he was armed at the time. Videos later emerged that showed Pretti had a phone in his hand but no visible weapon and he was trying to help another protester who had been pepper sprayed.
Pretti began working for the VA as a research assistant in 2014. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, he had a bachelor’s degree in biology, society and the environment, and later returned to school to become a registered nurse.
Numerous lawmakers, including a growing number of Republicans, have called for a thorough investigation and a deescalation of the violence in Minneapolis, which saw another protester and American citizen, Renee Good, shot earlier this month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
Shortly after Pretti’s death, House Veterans Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., issued a statement condemning the killing of the VA employee.
“In that role, he served the brave men and women who fought to defend his rights and the rights of all Americans, including the rights to free speech and assembly. The heartwarming tributes from his coworkers sharing that he was someone who ‘lived to help’ make this senseless killing even more heartbreaking,” Takano said in a statement. “What is happening across America is not normal and should not be accepted as such.”
Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas, chairman of Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement Monday to Military Times that he was “deeply troubled by the shootings.” He called for an “investigation to the fullest extent to ensure transparency and accountability.”
“Our Constitution provides citizens protection from the government. We have a right to free speech, to peaceably assemble and to bear arms. We also expect government to protect us from lawless behavior. Enforcing immigration laws that remove dangerous criminals from our streets and neighborhoods makes us safer and increases our national security. This can only be accomplished if local, state and federal officials work together to uphold the law. Law enforcement must reflect our nation’s values, and citizens should obey the law,” Moran said.
Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt said that President Donald Trump needed to decide what the ultimate goal was for immigration enforcement.
“Nobody likes the feds coming to their states,” Stitt said in an interview Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “And so what is the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-U.S. citizen? I don’t think that’s what Americans want.”
And Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., who served in the Army for 25 years, called for Americans to rise up in protest after the killings.
“An ICU nurse that works at a VA hospital was killed by thugs … three people have been killed by untrained thugs,” Vindman said in a video posted on X. “If you love freedom, if you love America, we need massive resistance.”
Some veterans have voiced support for the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, and in response to Collins said the VA should not employee people who protest against the government.
Jay Ellingson said as a conservative, he now “fears” going to the Minneapolis VA.
“How many of these evil freaks are working there. They are federal employees and should be fired if they participate in the protests,” Ellingson wrote in a post on X.
“The entire VA needs an audit,” wrote Air Force veteran Michael McCleary on X.
Pretti was a member of the American Federation of Government Employees. In a statement Saturday, AFGE President Everett Kelley said the union was “heartbroken.”
“While details of the incident are still emerging, one fact is already clear: this tragedy did not happen in a vacuum. It is the direct result of an administration that has chosen reckless policy, inflammatory rhetoric, and manufactured crisis over responsible leadership and de-escalation,” Kelley said.
Pretti’s family issued a strongly worded statement Saturday saying the administration told “sickening lies” about their son and that he 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.”
“Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman,” his parents wrote.
“Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you,” they added.
Patricia Kime is a senior writer covering military and veterans health care, medicine and personnel issues.
