Just days after the passing of Alex Pretti, a major development has emerged in the case as authorities have now revealed the medical examiner’s official ruling, shedding more light on the cause of his passing.
On the morning of January 24, 2026, the 37-year-old intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System was fatally struck by federal immigration agents.
Highlights
- The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released its official ruling in the Alex Pretti case, marking a major development weeks after the incident.
- The details have finally shed light on the chillingly similar circumstances between his and slain Renee Good’s passing.
- The ruling has intensified public scrutiny of the actions taken by federal agents, amid an ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice and FBI in the case.
For days, details provided by authorities and those shared by witnesses at the scene were contradictory, as federal officials claimed he brandished a firearm, while videos showed that he was holding a cell phone.
“Now the state needs to investigate in full, along with Renee Good,” reacted one netizen to the latest development in the case.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office has shared new details surrounding the fatal demise of Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti
Image credits: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
According to multiple reports, Alex Pretti was sh*t near the intersection of West 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue South in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement action.
Federal officials claimed that Pretti was slain during a “targeted operation” as immigration officers attempted to detain another individual.
Moreover, Homeland Security claimed the healthcare worker had approached officers while armed and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him, reportedly prompting an agent to fire at least 10 bullets within a span of five seconds.
Image credits: United States Department of Veterans Affairs
A Homeland Security spokesperson told the BBC, “The officers attempted to disarm the suspect, but the armed suspect violently resisted. Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, an agent fired defensive sh*ts.”
However, several eyewitness accounts and footage of the incident showed Pretti standing in the street holding what appeared to many to be a cellphone rather than a firearm.
He was reportedly recording the incident when he witnessed a woman being pushed to the ground into a pile of snow by an agent and rushed to shield her.
Image credits: Scott Olson/Getty Images
The same agent pepper-sprayed Pretti in the face as he raised his hands defensively in now-viral clips circulating online.
Even moments before his sh**ting, none of the verified bystander videos captured Alex with a firearm.
Now, according to an inquiry report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office yesterday, on February 2, which was investigating Pretti’s official cause of passing, it listed it as a result of “multiple g*nsh*t wounds,” including at least three in the back.
The details have sparked an internet frenzy over the eerie connection between Alex’s slaying and another similar ICE case involving Renee Good
Image credits: Mario Tama/Getty Images
The medical examiner’s report further stated that Alex was “sh*t by law enforcement officer(s).”
They ruled the cause of his passing a “homicide.”
As this new detail has emerged, the internet has been split in its opinion, with many drawing connections between this case and the passing of Renee Good, as the circumstances were quite similar.
Earlier, on January 22, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner had also ruled the cause of Renee’s demise a “homicide.”
Image credits: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The 37-year-old poet and mother of three was reportedly sh*t three times by an ICE agent while she was inside her vehicle on January 7 in Minneapolis.
One netizen wrote, “The goons who executed Alex Pretti and Renee Good need to face justice.”
Another commented, referring to Good’s case, “The lady's name who di*d… It's almost the same thing right.”
“These agents need to be arrested and charged by the state. court dates set!! Does America still stand for justice for all??” questioned an enraged third user.
People have mixed opinions, as many have called for justice, while others have noted that the medical examination is not proof of wrongdoing
Image credits: Alex Wong/Getty Images
However, many pointed out that the medical examiner’s ruling is not the same as a court ruling, with some even arguing that homicide in this context does not hold the same meaning.
One person said, “Unless the medical examiner was also a judge and made this statement in a courthouse nothing has changed.”
“Nearly every fatal sh**ting by law enforcement is legally classified as a homicide, defined as the k*lling of one human by another, but this does not mean it is a criminal act…” explained another.
“It only means de*th occurred due to another human being it does not mean intentional or criminal,” added a third.
“You dont have to be a medical examiner to know his de*th was a homicide.”
Image credits: va.gov
In a medical examination context, a ruling of homicide is a clinical classification of the manner of de*th, indicating that the de*th was caused by the act of another person.
Notably, it is a factual, medical finding and not a legal judgment of guilt, intent, or criminality.
A medical examiner’s ruling of homicide simply establishes that the demise resulted from another person’s actions rather than natural causes, an accident, or s**cide.
Alex’s family called the details provided by officials “sickening lies,” leading to the Department of Justice and the FBI launching a civil rights investigation
Image credits: fox9
As Bored Panda previously reported, Alex’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, reportedly found out about their son’s passing when an AP News reporter reached out to them.
They released an official statement calling the details provided by officials “sickening lies.”
They also noted that Alex was not holding a firearm in videos capturing his final moments.
They said, “Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
Reportedly, the family has retained Steve Schleicher, a notable former federal prosecutor, to represent them and ensure a “fair and impartial investigation.”
At the time of writing, Pretti’s family has not yet filed a formal lawsuit.
Moreover, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officially launched a federal civil rights investigation into the case on January 30, and the FBI is reportedly leading the probe in coordination with lawyers from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
As the investigation remains ongoing, investigators are examining whether the federal agents willfully used excessive force or violated Pretti’s constitutional rights during the January 24 encounter.
“Medical examination can’t determine motive,” wrote one skeptical social media user
