Asheville -- January 29, 2026: A vigil was held in Pritchard Park. to honor a Minneapolis ICU nurse, highlighting the shared sense of vulnerability and solidarity within the profession following the nurse's death.
Mission Hospital nurses gathered on Jan. 28, 2026, to remember Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse from Minneapolis. Pretti was fatally shot on Jan. 24, 2026, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents during an immigration enforcement operation.
The event was organized by the American Federation of Government employees, National Nurses United, and Western North Carolina Central Labor Council.
The community gathering serves as a solemn response to the tragic death of Pretti, a U.S. citizen and Illinois native who was fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24. As friends and family seek answers, public records highlight a life largely defined by its lack of legal conflict; beyond minor traffic tickets, Pretti had no criminal history or prior interactions with law enforcement. This vigil underscores a growing demand for transparency regarding the circumstances of the shooting and the involvement of federal agents in the Minnesota incident.
WNCTimes