In the chaotic aftermath of the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Alex Pretti outside a popular nightclub in downtown Perth on January 15, 2026, one doctor’s harrowing eyewitness account has ignited fierce debate about emergency response priorities and the handling of the crime scene.

Dr. Marcus Hale, a trauma specialist who happened to be leaving the venue with friends when the shooting occurred, rushed to Pretti’s side within seconds of the gunfire. Speaking exclusively to local media in a tearful interview released January 26, Dr. Hale described the surreal, heartbreaking moments that followed.

“I got to him first,” Hale recalled. “He was on the pavement, conscious but fading fast. Multiple gunshot wounds—chest, abdomen, thigh. I started applying pressure, checking airways, trying to stabilize him for paramedics. That’s what you do: save the life first, worry about everything else later.”

THEY COUNTED THE BULLET WOUNDS… INSTEAD OF…” — A Doctor’s Shocking Account of Trying to Save Alex Pretti in His Final Moments

But according to Hale, the scene quickly shifted in a way that still torments him. Instead of immediate focus on life-saving interventions, several officers—some in plain clothes, others arriving shortly after—began what he described as a methodical count of visible bullet wounds and shell casings on the ground.

“They were counting the entry and exit wounds out loud, noting locations, taking photographs of the body before moving him,” Hale said. “I kept saying, ‘We need to get him on a stretcher, get oxygen, get IV access—he’s losing blood fast.’ But the priority seemed to be documenting the scene exactly as it was, preserving evidence, rather than aggressive resuscitation.”

Paramedics arrived approximately seven minutes after the first 000 call, according to official timelines. By then, Pretti had lost consciousness. Despite CPR and advanced life support en route to Royal Perth Hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival at 2:47 a.m.

Western Australia Police have defended their actions, stating that officers secured the scene, ensured no ongoing threat, and assisted paramedics once the area was safe. A spokesperson emphasized that crime scene preservation is standard protocol in active homicide investigations, especially in cases involving multiple shooters or potential gang links—elements reportedly under investigation in Pretti’s death.

Dr. Hale, however, insists the delay in moving Pretti for medical treatment cost precious time. “Every second matters in trauma,” he said. “I’ve worked mass casualty events. I know when someone can still be saved. Alex was still breathing, still had a pulse when I got there. If we’d moved him sooner, started fluids, controlled the bleeding properly… maybe the outcome would have been different.”

The account has sparked outrage online and among medical professionals. Trauma surgeons and emergency physicians have taken to forums and media outlets to debate the balance between forensic preservation and life-saving priority. “Bullet wounds can be counted later,” one senior ER doctor commented anonymously. “A dying patient can’t wait.”

Pretti’s family, devastated by the loss, has called for a full independent review of the response. In a statement, they said: “Alex deserved every chance to survive. If protocol got in the way of that, we need answers.”

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch has confirmed an internal review is underway, alongside the ongoing homicide investigation. No charges have been laid, but detectives are following leads related to a dispute inside the nightclub earlier that night.

Dr. Hale, visibly shaken during the interview, concluded: “I did everything I could in those first minutes. But I’ll never stop wondering what might have changed if saving his life had been the only priority that night.”

As the investigation continues, Alex Pretti’s death has become more than a tragic headline—it has raised urgent questions about how emergency scenes are managed when a life hangs in the balance and evidence must be preserved.