Guest Essay | Mayor Victor Gordo: Statement on the Killing of Alex Pretti

Today, our community and our nation once again mourns a life lost under circumstances that demand truth, justice, and accountability.  We grieve the tragic and senseless killing of Alex Pretti, a dedicated ICU nurse, a neighbor, a friend, and a compassionate member of his community who devoted his life to caring for veterans and lifting up others.  Alex was shot and killed by federal immigration agents on January 24th in Minneapolis.

Across the country, people have been rightly outraged by the disturbing spectacle of masked federal immigration agents descending into our communities, including here in our own city, using tactics that appear designed to create fear, chaos, and intimidation.  These actions do not make us safer.  They are cruel, they erode trust, and they place our residents at risk.  And, they need to stop.

In moments like this, our community’s anger is not misplaced, it is righteous.  It is not a threat to democracy; it is a call to conscience.  It is the anger of parents who cannot explain why their son was taken.  It is the anger of health care workers who witness violence inflicted upon a healer.  It is the anger of everyday people who believe that law enforcement, at every level, must be accountable to the people it serves, and that communities have the right to protest, mourn, and demand change without being met with unnecessary force.

Demanding justice is not about partisanship; it is about principle.  It is rooted in our shared belief that the sanctity of human life matters, that those entrusted with authority must act with humanity and restraint, and that the fundamental role of the state is to protect its people, not terrorize them.

To the family and loved ones of Alex Pretti, Pasadena extends our deepest condolences.  We grieve with you, we stand with you in your call for truth, and we commit to honoring Alex’s life by working toward a future where no family must endure such a loss.  May we be inspired by the peaceful protests in Minneapolis and in communities everywhere to find strength in unity, to stand against hate, and to continue building a more just and compassionate world.

– Mayor Victor M. Gordo –