Former patient recalls compassionate care of Alex Pretti after fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Sonny Fouts, 71, an Air Force veteran, shared a heartfelt recollection of Alex Pretti, the ICU nurse who cared for him just two weeks before Pretti was fatally shot by federal authorities on Saturday, January 24. Fouts and his partner expressed deep gratitude for the nurse’s compassion and presence during a difficult recovery.

Pretti, who worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, left a lasting impression on patients and families alike. For Fouts, recovering from major surgery, Pretti’s calm presence and empathy were invaluable during one of the most stressful periods of his life.

Sonny Fouts remembers Alex Pretti’s dedicated support post-surgery

Fouts underwent major surgery on January 12 to repair a descending aorta aneurysm, a nine-hour procedure that left him in the ICU at the Medical Center. It was there that he first met Pretti, who was assigned as Fouts’s ICU nurse.

Fouts’s partner, Kimberly, had been waiting in the family room since early morning, and it wasn’t until late afternoon that she was finally allowed to visit him in his ICU room. She immediately felt at ease because of Pretti’s presence.

Unlike many nurses who may simply check vitals and move on, Pretti took time to lighten the atmosphere, helping both patients and family feel supported during a stressful recovery. “He just lightened the situation,” Kimberly said, noting how Pretti helped her feel comfortable and assured that Fouts “was in good hands.”

Fouts echoed those feelings, recalling directly how Pretti “comforted me, helped me, did his job” and made him feel as comfortable as possible, even making him laugh at least once despite his pain.

Alex Pretti’s care leaves lasting impression on patients

Fouts said that without Pretti’s care during his ICU stay, he might not have survived. He added that although he doesn’t like using the word “hero,” Pretti could be described that way, considering how much he helped him at a critical moment.

Dr. Aasma Shaukat, who hired Pretti and worked with him before he became a nurse, described being “absolutely shocked” by the news of his death and emphasized that Pretti was not a troublemaker but “a good citizen” who cared deeply for others.

She remembered him as a “joy” to work with. “He was just a really sweet person that you could just talk to. No pretense. No complicated factors. Just who he was is how he came across,” Shaukat said.

Pretti’s death marked the second incident this month in which a Minneapolis resident was fatally shot by federal officers, intensifying public outrage over the city’s federal enforcement operations.