In the aftermath of the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, claims have surfaced online that his parents said he quit his hospital job months earlier and showed "unusual behavior.” The root of the claim is an article published by btuatu.com on January 26, 2026, which is headlined, ‘SHOCK: The Parents of Alex Pretti Reveal Their Son Quit His Hospital Job Months Ago and Exhibited “Unusual Behavior” Recently – “He Seemed to Have Joined Some Kind of Group.”
The article reads, “In a heartbreaking and revealing interview, the parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti—the 37-year-old ICU nurse fatally shot by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026—have shared new details that paint a far more complicated picture of their son’s final months. Michael Pretti, speaking to reporters from his home in Wisconsin, described how Alex had quietly left his position at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center several months earlier, a move that surprised his family and colleagues who knew him as a dedicated caregiver for veterans.”
It adds, ““He seemed to have joined some kind of group,” Michael Pretti told reporters, his voice heavy with grief and concern. “We warned him two weeks ago—protest if you want, but don’t engage, don’t do anything stupid. He said he understood.” The father emphasized that while Alex had always been passionate about helping others, his recent behavior had shifted in ways that worried them. “He was pulling away from his routine, talking more about ‘standing up’ and ‘making a difference’ in ways that felt different. We thought it was just stress, but now… we don’t know.””
Is the claim true?
{{/usCountry}}It adds, ““He seemed to have joined some kind of group,” Michael Pretti told reporters, his voice heavy with grief and concern. “We warned him two weeks ago—protest if you want, but don’t engage, don’t do anything stupid. He said he understood.” The father emphasized that while Alex had always been passionate about helping others, his recent behavior had shifted in ways that worried them. “He was pulling away from his routine, talking more about ‘standing up’ and ‘making a difference’ in ways that felt different. We thought it was just stress, but now… we don’t know.””
Is the claim true?
{{/usCountry}}The claim is false. There is no video online of Pretti's parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, speaking to reporters in his home or anywhere. A statement released by Pretti's parents did reference his work as an ICU nurse at a Veterans Administration hospital, but it did not say that he quit that job or that his recent behavior appeared unusual.
Lead Stories reported that the website that published the article “is associated with a spam factory based in Vietnam that uses AI tools to target Americans and Europeans with fake clickbait.”
Hours after Pretti’s death, his parents released a statement saying, “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the hero term lightly. However his last thought and act was to protect a woman.”
The statement added, “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump's murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.”