Heartfelt Letters After a Tragic Loss

A box on the kitchen table holds about two hundred letters and cards that have come into a Denver family’s home since their son, Alex Pretti, was shot by immigration agents in Minneapolis. The messages come from doctors, veterans and strangers who remember Alex as a caring nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital. Some praise him for helping a woman who was pushed to the ground by a Customs and Border Protection officer. Others call him a hero for standing up before being shot several times. Alex’s parents, Michael and Susan Pretti, speak openly about the pain they feel.Michael says he expects more letters each day. Susan recalls how Alex was their first child and the one who made her a mother. She says there was no reason he should have died that day. The letters help the family remember Alex’s kindness and love for his patients, family and community. They say they didn’t discuss politics often with him, but they knew he was upset about the large federal raid in Minnesota. Alex had joined many others who protested those raids. These words keep Alex’s story alive and show the impact of his life on many people.