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Coloradans are in mourning and filled with outrage after the death of Alex Pretti, whose parents live in Arvada. Pretti, a registered nurse in Minnesota, was shot and killed by ICE agents while he was holding a phone during a federal immigration raid and subsequent protest.
Federal immigration and Homeland Security officials have claimed that Pretti, who had a concealed carry license in Minnesota, brought a gun with the intent to “massacre” ICE agents, but video footage from multiple angles never shows Pretti drawing his weapon.
Protests and vigils have sprung up across the country after the deaths of Colorado native Renee Good and Pretti. Tomorrow, January 28, a national nurses union wants to honor Pretti as “one of our own” with an electric candlelight vigil at the VA facility in Aurora.
According to National Nurses United, Pretti was an ICU-registered nurse who aided veterans at the Minneapolis VA.
“Pretti upheld his oath to advocate for and protect his patients and community to the very end as a peaceful, public legal observer of ICE atrocities,” reads a statement from NNU. “Pretti’s death will not be in vain. ICE messed with the wrong profession. We nurses will fight to abolish ICE and bring about a vision for a healthy society based on nurses’ values of caring, compassion, and community.”
See details about Wednesday’s vigil in Aurora below.
Where Is the Alex Pretti Vigil?
The vigil for Alex Pretti will be held by the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, which is located at 1700 Wheeling Street in Aurora. According to organizers, people will not gather on the VA property, but at the corner of Wheeling and East Colfax Avenue.
When Is the Vigil?
According to organizers with National Nurses United, the Aurora vigil for Alex Pretti will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28.
How to Get There
Most people driving to the vigil will take East Colfax Avenue or Interstate 225. There are a handful of public and staff-only parking lots just west of the VA campus, which is surrounded by other hospitals and medical centers. Street parking is plentiful around the intersection and in the area, although it may be a little harder to come by as the vigil nears.
The R Line RTD light rail stops at Colfax Station, which is less than a third of a mile from where the vigil will be held. Colfax Station is also on a handful of RTD bus routes, including the 10, 15, 15L, 20 and FF5.
Who’s Organizing the Vigil?
The VA vigil is organized by National Nurses United, one of the country’s largest national nurse unions. The Aurora gathering is part of a national week of action in honor of Pretti, with NNU vigils taking place at medical centers across twelve states and in Washington, D.C.
What to Know Before You Go
According to National Nurses United, the event is intended to provide an opportunity for people to “collectively mourn and strengthen ourselves to take on another day.” The vigil is meant to be held in “peaceful solidarity” with a fallen colleague, organizers add.
Attendees are encouraged to bring electric candles or flashlights for the vigil, but no open flames. Electric candles will be provided by organizers while supplies last.
Other Colorado Events in Honor of Alex Pretti
Protesters descended upon the Colorado State Capitol over the weekend and again on Monday, January 26, to share their anger and sadness over the recent deaths of Pretti and Good, and to protest ICE’s aggressive actions since Donald Trump took office again.
Fliers on social media detail a nationwide strike and protest by nurses on Friday, January 30. The day of action is supposed to take place at hospitals and medical centers across the country, and has been shared thousands of times on Reddit, Instagram and other websites. However, no official nurses’ unions or organizations have taken credit for organizing that event, and many nurses have union or employment agreements restricting their ability to strike without notice.
