When the State Kills
The Execution of Alex Pretti & Renee Good
Last month, Minneapolis became the backdrop for a shocking sequence of events that have shaken not only Minnesota but the conscience of this entire nation. In the span of weeks, two American citizens—Alex Jeffrey Pretti and Renee Nicole Good—were fatally shot by federal immigration agents, igniting grief, anger, and urgent calls for accountability from communities, lawmakers, and human rights advocates alike.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was a compassionate caregiver whose life was dedicated to helping others. On January 24, during a federal immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis, he was shot and killed by agents. Eyewitnesses and video footage contradict the immediate assertions from federal officials, showing Pretti holding a phone—not a weapon—before he was pepper-sprayed, tackled, and executed while on the ground.
Just weeks earlier, on January 7, Renee Nicole Good, 37, and a U.S. citizen, was killed in a similar encounter by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during the same wave of federal immigration enforcement actions in the city. Her death was later ruled a homicide by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner, with multiple gunshot wounds inflicted by the ICE agent, despite conflicting narratives from federal authorities about what happened.
Good was a mother whose loss reverberated deeply through her family and community. Reports indicate that she was shot as she attempted to drive away from the scene of an ICE operation when federal agents confronted her vehicle. While officials claimed she posed a threat, widespread scrutiny and video evidence have cast serious doubt on that narrative.
The deaths of Pretti and Good were not isolated tragedies—they unfolded as part of a federal campaign that has deployed 3,000 immigration enforcement agents into Minneapolis and other U.S. cities, with aggressive tactics and little transparency. These operations have drawn national outrage, sparking protests in Minneapolis and cities across the country as communities demand accountability and justice.
Local leaders, civil rights organizations, and the victims’ families have rightly questioned not only the use of lethal force but also the broader strategy that brought armed federal agents into neighborhoods without adequate oversight or regard for the safety of citizens who were not targets of any crime. The family of Renee Good has publicly condemned the continued loss of life, calling the events “terrifying, deeply disturbing, and heartbreaking” and urging Americans to judge the evidence for themselves rather than trusting hastily released federal statements.
Minneapolis residents—already grappling with economic inequality, community healing, and a desire for safe neighborhoods—are now being compelled to witness yet another wave of violence in their streets. Mourning rituals, vigils, and protests have been met with armored federal agents, tear gas, and a barrage of official spin attempting to justify what many view as unjustifiable.
These deaths are not just mistakes. They are structural failures—a consequence of policies that prioritize militarized enforcement over human life, that invite federal agents to police neighborhoods without accountability, and that defend institutional power at the expense of civil liberties and basic safety.
It is unconscionable for a government to kill its own people and then deflect responsibility with political spin and euphemistic language.
To the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good—whose lives were full of love, care, and community contribution—I offer not only heartfelt sympathy but a commitment to amplify your voices. Your loved ones should still be here. Their deaths should have never happened.
But sympathy alone cannot be the end of this story.
We must call on Congress to act with urgency and resolve. This includes:
Reining in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and all of its enforcement agencies by dramatically reducing both their budgets and personnel.
Eliminating funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), institutions whose actions have repeatedly endangered American lives.
Abolishing ICE and Border Patrol agencies in their current militarized forms and restoring a humane, accountable Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) that respects civil rights and prioritizes justice and due process.
Holding leadership accountable—including the firing or impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has defended these operations and leaned into narratives that excuse the deaths of U.S. citizens.
This is not merely a political call to action—it is a moral imperative. Our nation must choose whether it will protect its citizens or continue to see them killed in the name of enforcement. If we remain silent, if we accept these deaths as collateral damage, then we betray the very principles of justice and human dignity that this country claims to uphold.
The time for change is now...and every single voice matters. Will you add your voice?
About the Creator
Dan McGinnis
Freelance writer, screenwriter, author.
www.DanMcGinnisCreative.com
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A National Tragedy 30 Years Ago United Australia. Why Hasn’t the Bondi Shooting?
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