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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Alex Pretti’s Parents Press Justice Department for Answers and Evidence Nine Months After Fatal Shooting
The family’s public appeal renews scrutiny of communication with relatives and evidence access for Minnesota investigators.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (October 28, 2026). Alex Pretti’s parents called on the U.S. Justice Department to provide information and cooperate with Minnesota investigators during an October 27 news conference in Minneapolis, more than nine months after federal immigration agents fatally shot their son.
Susan and Michael Pretti appeared with their attorney, Steve Schleicher, describing frustration with the federal government’s response and asking for accountability in the January 24 killing of the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs nurse.
Family Describes Unanswered Requests
Schleicher said he had sent the Justice Department a letter approximately three months earlier requesting information about the investigation, including the identities of the agents involved.
According to the Minnesota Reformer’s account of the news conference, he said the family had received neither a substantive response nor an acknowledgment.
The parents’ statements expressed their assessment of the government’s conduct. They were not announcements of criminal charges or findings by a court.
Justice Department Says Investigation Continues
The Justice Department told ABC News that its investigation remains ongoing.
A spokesperson said the timing was consistent with similar investigations and described communications with family members as generally occurring at later stages, such as an indictment, plea or trial, rather than during the investigative period.
That explanation contrasts with the family’s request for information now, while prosecutors are still determining what action to take. ABC reported that no one had been charged in connection with the shooting.
Minnesota Officials Continue Seeking Evidence
The family’s appeal also drew attention to a separate dispute over what federal authorities have supplied to state and local investigators.
In a statement to ABC News, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty accused federal officials of obstructing the county’s investigation and said her office continues pursuing litigation to obtain evidence.
Schleicher said local prosecutors need access to the full record to determine what happened and whether criminal charges are warranted. Those statements describe the investigators’ and family attorney’s positions; the news conference did not resolve the evidence-sharing litigation.
Remembering Pretti Beyond the Investigation
The parents also spoke about their son’s life. The Reformer reported that Pretti researched molecular biology at the University of Minnesota before becoming an intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.
Michael Pretti said the family had received more than 2,000 letters and cards. Susan Pretti thanked the people whose messages had helped them through their grief.
The immediate questions remain whether federal authorities will provide further information to the family, what additional evidence Minnesota investigators will receive and whether either investigation will produce charges.
The Minnesota Reformer’s news conference coverage and ABC News report containing the Justice Department’s response document the competing accounts.
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