Heartbreaking Statement from Alex Pretti’s Girlfriend: “He Was Coming Home to Start Our Future” Amid Outrage Over Fatal ICE Shooting

In a poignant social media post that has gone viral just minutes after being shared, the girlfriend of slain ICU nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti broke her silence one day after his fatal shooting by U.S. Border Patrol agents. The 37-year-old veteran advocate was killed on January 28 while attempting to shield a woman from federal officers during an immigration enforcement operation in a residential Minneapolis neighborhood. Pretti’s partner, identified as Emily Hartmann in family statements, described his unfinished dreams and the exhaustion from back-to-back shifts at the VA hospital, painting a picture of a dedicated healer cut down in his prime.

Hartmann’s post, shared on Facebook and quickly amplified across platforms like X, begins with a raw admission: “I haven’t slept since they took him from me. Alex was my everything—a kind soul who healed broken bodies all day, only to come home and heal my heart.” She recounts how Pretti had been pulling double shifts for weeks, caring for veterans in the intensive care unit, and was finally set to return home that evening. “He texted me that morning: ‘Baby, just a few more hours, then I’m all yours. We’ve got plans—big ones,’” she wrote, her words evoking tears from thousands of readers.

Those “big ones,” Hartmann revealed, included a surprise proposal and starting a family. Pretti, a Green Bay native who moved to Minneapolis after serving in the military, had confided in her about buying a ring and scouting homes outside the city for a quieter life. “He wanted to leave the chaos behind, focus on us and the kids we dreamed of. But he couldn’t walk away when he saw that woman on the ground, pushed by those agents. That’s who Alex was—always protecting others, even if it cost him everything.” The post includes a photo of the couple smiling during a recent hike, now a memorial symbol amid growing protests.

Eyewitness accounts and videos corroborate Hartmann’s narrative of heroism. Bystander footage shows Pretti approaching agents with his phone raised, filming as they pepper-sprayed and shoved a woman to the pavement. He steps in to help her up, hands empty except for the device, before being tackled, disarmed of his holstered legal firearm, and shot multiple times in the back while pinned face-down. Witnesses, including the woman who recorded the incident, have spoken out, emphasizing Pretti’s non-aggressive stance. “He was just trying to protect her,” one said in a CNN interview, echoing Hartmann’s words.

This tragedy marks the second fatal shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis this month, following the death of Renee Good on January 9. Pretti’s killing has intensified scrutiny on the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration tactics, with ICE and Border Patrol teams operating far from the border. A prior incident 11 days earlier, captured on video, shows Pretti confronting agents during a protest, kicking their SUV’s taillight in frustration over blocked streets—resulting in a brief scuffle but no charges.

Hartmann’s statement slams the government’s initial claims that Pretti “brandished” a weapon and assaulted officers—assertions debunked by videos and sworn testimonies. “They lied to smear his name, calling him a terrorist when he was a nurse saving lives,” she wrote. “Alex had no criminal record; he was a U.S. citizen born in Illinois, a hero to his patients.” Family members from Green Bay have echoed this, describing him as a compassionate son who participated in the 2020 George Floyd protests but always advocated non-violence.

Protests erupted immediately after the shooting, with crowds gathering outside federal buildings chanting “Justice for Alex” and demanding the agents’ names and bodycam footage.

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Community leaders link the incident to broader concerns over militarized federal presence in urban areas. “Alex’s death isn’t just a loss for Emily; it’s a wake-up call for America,” said a local activist. DHS has placed the involved agents on leave, but revised statements omit key details, prompting calls for independent investigations from figures like Sen. Rand Paul.

Hartmann ends her post with a plea: “Don’t let his story fade. He was coming home to me, to build our life. Now, I’m left with memories and a broken heart. Fight for him—for all of us.” The message has garnered over 50,000 shares, inspiring memorials and vigils. In Green Bay, former classmates remember Pretti as a gentle giant, while VA colleagues mourn a “healer” lost to senseless violence.

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As Minneapolis grapples with grief, Hartmann’s words humanize the statistics, reminding us of the personal toll. Pretti’s unfinished plans—a proposal, a family, a peaceful future—now fuel a movement for accountability. Investigations continue, but for Hartmann, the pain is immediate: “He deserved to come home.”