Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes
The Tragic, Predictable Death of Alex Pretti
I have written extensively about immigration, sanctuary cities, and these recent events in my Substack:
These articles cover a lot of background into these issues and are worth reading. I don’t repeat the conclusions in this article. Nonetheless, this article is self contained.
How About Some Common Sense?
What seems to get lost in all the posturing and narrative is pure common sense.
If you are walking down the sidewalk and not paying attention and fall into an open manhole, the city may be liable but that is little consolation if you are already dead or seriously injured. Most people would agree that it’s good to pay attention to your surroundings and where you are going.
The Mechanics of a Suicide Mission
On January 24th, 2026, Alex Pretti—a veteran ICU nurse—approached a federal tactical team during a high-stress arrest while carrying a 9mm handgun. Whether he had a permit is legally significant, but tactically irrelevant. An arrest site is not a playground, and it is certainly not a ballot box to vote for or against changes to immigration law. If a law is being broken, you can call the police.
There are real legal questions about interference and officer-safety rules—but you don’t need to resolve them to see the tactical reality here. This isn’t a demonstration.
It’s an arrest site with armed federal agents who are supposed to be prioritizing the capture of dangerous criminals. Pretti knew what the agents were there to do. Those criminals may be armed too.
A concealed handgun is not going to protect you against an army of armed federal agents. Take that gun out of the holster and point it at someone and your life will end at that moment.
Pretti reportedly did not typically carry his gun despite having a permit.
Previous Altercations
On January 13th, eleven days before his death, Pretti was filmed confronting federal agents at an intersection in Minneapolis. Video verified by the BBC shows him screaming at officers, spitting on their vehicle, and kicking out the taillight of a federal SUV. Agents tackled him to the ground, fired tear gas into the surrounding crowd, and then let him go. A gun was visible in his waistband in the footage; it’s unclear whether agents noticed it at the time.
A few days later, around January 17th, Pretti had another confrontation. This time, according to sources who spoke to CNN, he stopped his car after witnessing ICE agents chasing a family on foot. He got out, started shouting and blowing a whistle. Five agents tackled him. One leaned on his back, breaking his rib. Again, they released him at the scene without arrest. Medical records reviewed by CNN confirmed he was given medication consistent with treating a broken rib.
“That day, he thought he was going to die,” a source told CNN.
In both prior encounters, he was not arrested on scene.
The Hair-Trigger Variable
The specific weapon Pretti chose to carry at the fateful moment: a Sig Sauer P320. This isn’t just any handgun; it is a model notorious for “uncommanded discharges.” The P320 is so prone to firing without a trigger pull when jarred or dropped that ICE issued an internal directive in July 2025 for agents to stop carrying it and transition to Glocks. (Sig Sauer disputes this characterization.)
To bring this specific, hair-trigger weapon into a physical scuffle with federal agents is to invite a catastrophe. Some have speculated—without official confirmation—that the firearm may have discharged during the struggle.
In any case, this particular weapon increased the chances of something going wrong—endangering agents and bystanders alike—especially since he had already been in physical altercations.
The Warning Even a Son Wouldn’t Hear
Even Pretti’s own parents saw the writing on the wall. Two weeks ago, Michael Pretti gave his son the ultimate piece of common-sense advice: “Go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid.”
Mental State
He was obviously very upset regarding what was taking place in his city. He had multiple prior confrontations with federal agents before the fatal one. I don’t think that anyone I know would kick the taillight out of an SUV occupied by armed passengers. His lack of caution passed well into the reckless and death wish level. He already had said that he thought he would die the last time.
You would tell your son, friend, husband, etc. to do any of what he did?
I did not say he was a bad person but common sense tells you that it was not the behavior of a rational person that cared for his life.