Alex Pretti's Parents Accuse Federal Government of Withholding Information on Son's Killing

The parents of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, said at a news conference on Tuesday that the federal government is shielding the agents involved and has given them no meaningful information for about nine months. Michael and Susan Pretti, speaking publicly for the first time since their son died on 24 January, called on the Department of Justice to hold those responsible accountable. Michael Pretti said officials had ignored and misled the family and shielded the killers. The couple said the government has kept them uninformed for 275 days, even after they sent a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche over the summer asking for basic information, including the identities of the officers. Pretti worked at a veterans hospital. DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels said communications with victims' families typically do not occur during an investigation and usually come later, at stages such as indictment or trial. The Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the FBI. The news conference came nearly a week after Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the federal government had stopped sharing information.

Left-leaning outlets The Guardian US and NBC News both lead with the parents' quote about being ignored, misled and shielded, but diverge in emphasis. The Guardian's headline uses the word "shameful" and reports that the Trump administration quickly labeled Pretti an armed domestic terrorist, calling that claim baseless and noting that video showed him holding a cellphone and not attacking agents. NBC News centers on the demand for evidence, the 275-day count and the letter to Blanche, and gives the DOJ's response through Pels, plus the DHS referral and Moriarty's remarks. Alternative outlets Straight Arrow News and AP largely echo the parents' core claims of withheld answers and shielded agents, with AP stressing nine months without substantive contact. Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had.