Family of Alex Pretti speaks out in exclusive interview: 'They murdered our child'
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They → speak → child
Pretti was shot and killed by federal officers on Jan. 24.
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Pretti → shoot → Jan.
Seven months after 37-year-old Alex Pretti was shot and killed by two federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, his grieving family said they want "accountability" in their first television interview.
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they → shoot → interview
"We've seen what happened.
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what → see → ?
But we want justice.
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we → want → justice
We want accountability for the people that did this to Alex," his father, Michael Pretti, said in the exclusive interview with "Good Morning America" co-anchor George Stephanopoulos while joined by his wife and daughter.
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father → want → wife
Alex Pretti, an American citizen and ICU nurse for the Department of Veterans Affairs, was killed on Jan. 24, roughly two weeks after fellow U.S. citizen Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis during the Trump administration's "Operation Metro Surge" immigration crackdown.
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Good → kill → crackdown
Both shootings sparked nationwide outrage and demands for accountability over federal officers' deadly use of force in Minneapolis.
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shootings → spark → Minneapolis
Michael Pretti said his son was observing immigration activity when the shooting occurred.
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shooting → say → activity
"He cared deeply about his community.
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He → care → community
He wanted people to be treated fairly, no matter what walk of life, what their background was," Michael Pretti said.
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Pretti → want → life
Watch the interview with the Prettis and George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America," airing Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 7 a.m.
Eyewitness video shows that Alex Pretti appeared to be recording when a federal officer shoves a woman into him.
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officer → watch → him
He seems to try to help her, and then both of his hands are visible -- one holding a phone and the other held up, seemingly to protect himself from pepper spray -- when he's wrestled to the ground.
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he → seem → ground
His firearm, which he had a legal permit to carry, was removed by an officer while he was on the ground and before approximately 10 shots were fired, the video shows.
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video → have → ground
His parents said they found out their son had been shot while watching the coverage of the shooting on the news.
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son → say → news
His mother said she recognized her son's jacket and sunglasses from the footage.
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she → say → footage
“That’s how we found out, watching it on TV.
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we → ’ → TV
Watching our son be shot ten times on TV,” Michael Pretti said.
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Pretti → watch → TV
“In the back,” Susan Pretti, Alex's mother, added.
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Pretti → add → back
"I was not shocked that he helped somebody.
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he → shock → somebody
My shock is that he was murdered and no one has given us the complete truth or anyone has been held accountable.
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anyone → murder → truth
And it's been seven months," Susan Pretti said.
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Pretti → say → ?
“What did he do to deserve to be murdered?
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he → do → What
What did he do?” she asked.
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she → do → What
In the wake of the deadly shooting, some Trump administration officials were quick to blame Alex Pretti.
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officials → blame → Pretti
Former Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said it looked like Pretti wanted "to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement," and then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed he "committed an act of domestic terrorism."
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he → say → terrorism
Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller posted on social media that he was an “assassin” and “domestic terrorist.”
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he → post → media
When asked about the response, Michael Pretti said, "There was more effort in vilifying him than pursuing justice, investigating this."
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Pretti → ask → this
After video of him in a confrontation with federal agents 11 days before the shooting surfaced on social media, President Donald Trump called Alex Pretti an "agitator" and "perhaps" an "insurrectionist" in a social media post.
Asked what it felt like to hear those things said about their family member, his sister, Micayla Pretti, said, "I don't think you would like my answer."
"It's so un-presidential," Michael Pretti said.
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Pretti → surface → answer
"It's ridiculous that, you know, the leader of the free world speaks that way about an American citizen."
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leader → know → citizen
Susan Pretti said she wants an apology for what was said about her son.
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what → say → son
"Why shouldn't we get one?" she asked.
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she → get → one
The Department of Justice opened a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting.
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Department → open → shooting
Steve Schleicher, an attorney for the Pretti family, told ABC News that they don't know where that stands or what information they've gathered.
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they → tell → information
"They at least have the right to know who shot Alex Pretti," Schleicher said.
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Schleicher → have → Pretti
"They have the right to be consulted with meaningfully, they have the right to meet with the prosecutors, they have the right to have the process not drag on too long.
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process → have → right
They have the right to be informed, and that's just not being done here."
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that → have → right
In a letter to then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last month, Schleicher said that the U.S. attorney in Minnesota met with the Pretti family on July 13 but that "the meeting raised more questions than answers."
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meeting → act → answers
A DOJ spokesperson said in a statement to ABC News, "As is standard protocol, family member communications, if any, come at a later stage of a case, such as at indictment, initial appearance, plea, trial, or sentencing.
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communications → say → indictment
Communications with family do not typically occur during an investigation."
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Communications → occur → investigation
…and 10 more, not listed.
The Aporia
