By: John Imsdahl

Writer/Reporter

Candlelight vigils were held across the city in the aftermath of yet another shooting of a Minneapolis citizen by a Department of Homeland Security agent. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old registered nurse who worked in the Intensive Care Unit at the VA hospital in South Minneapolis, was shot on the 2600 block of Nicollet Avenue on January 24, 2026, while observing ICE agents. The incident, which was filmed by multiple bystanders, has horrified residents still reeling from the shooting of Renee Good on January 7th.

In south Minneapolis’ East Nokomis neighborhood, residents convened at numerous locations, one of them being St Herman’s Orthodox Church. A mixed group of families, couples, and individuals, many carrying candles and all bundled up for the sub-zero temperatures, assembled around 7:00 pm. One attendee began passing around sheets of song lyrics and another buttons that said “Remember Alex Pretti,” a third woman was passing out cookies, and another packages of hand warmers.

I spoke to the man passing out the buttons. His name is Daniel Amyx and he is a employee in the VA health care system and a member of the American Federation of Government Employees union, the same union to which Alex Pretti belonged.

While Amyx said he did not know Pretti personally, he stated that, “if he worked in the ICU, he must have been a good nurse.” He also said that his union representative had told him that he was killed trying to help someone.

After thirty minutes of singing and a short speech by Amyx, the group began marching west along 54th Street to meet up with other groups from the area. Upon arriving at 34th Avenue, the number of attendees swelled considerably and was now into the hundreds. The marchers headed south towards the final destination of the 34th Avenue bridge over Crosstown Highway. Upon arrival at the bridge, the marchers stopped, some quietly reflecting on the events of the day, others singing songs, and still others talking quietly with friends and neighbors.

Many cars drove past the vigil on 34th Street or below on Highway 62 and honked in apparent support of the vigil. Others yelled encouraging words out their windows or waved. This show of solidarity demonstrates that the resolve of the people of Minneapolis is not wavering and is in fact getting stronger with each passing day.