What to Know
Alex Pretti’s sister has spoken out about losing her brother. In a heartbreaking statement, she said her family has received a lot of positive messages about Pretti in the aftermath of his death. At the same time, they have had to hear “disgusting lies” about him, many of which have been spread by Trump administration officials.
On Saturday, January 24, federal agents shot and killed Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital. In her statement, Pretti’s sister described her brother as someone who “was kind, generous, and had a way of lighting up every room he walked into.” Additionally, she said, “All Alex ever wanted was to help someone—anyone. Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that.”
Pretti’s sister said he “always wanted to make a difference in this world.”
She acknowledged the impact he had on people through his work, and also said it’s “devastating that he won’t be here to witness the impact he was making,” according to a statement shared with CBS News. Pretti’s sister wrote, “Through his work at the VA caring for the sickest patients, and passion to advance cancer research, he touched more lives than he probably ever realized.”
Beyond his work at the VA hospital, he was an amazing brother to his sister. “He was incredibly intelligent and deeply passionate, and he made people feel safe,” his sister said. “But most importantly, he was my brother. I had the privilege of being his little sister for 32 years. I will never be able to hug him, laugh with him, or cry to him again because of those thugs—and that is a pain no words can fully capture.”
She also addressed the misinformation being spread.
Though Pretti’s loved ones have described him as someone who loved to help people, Trump administration officials have tried to characterize him as a “domestic terrorist” and “an assassin” who was “brandishing” a gun. Video evidence does not support the Trump administration’s claims. They have not provided evidence to support their claims that Pretti was “an assassin” who was trying to inflict harm.
Understandably, hearing this misinformation has been “absolutely gut-wrenching” for Pretti’s family. In her statement, Pretti’s sister wrote, “When does this end? How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough? Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth. He would be very proud.”
In a separate statement, Pretti’s parents said, “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.”
