photo credit: Shandra Back
Mourners hold up candles in a moment of silence for Alex Pretti

 ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis on January 24, the second killing by a federal immigration officer in the city in January. Pretti worked for the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

His death has sparked protests and vigils led by health‑care workers across the country.

In Sonoma County, hundreds recently gathered around a lamppost in the Santa Rosa VA clinic parking lot. Rain pours down, but most of the candles are battery‑powered and stay lit. The crowd includes American flags, veterans’ hats, and hospital scrubs.

The vigil was organized by NFFE Local 1, the San Francisco–based chapter of the National Federation of Federal Employees, which represents workers at the San Francisco VA Health Care System.

Photos of Alex Pretti glow above the crowd as people step forward to speak.

Meadow stands with a group of nurses huddled under umbrellas. She asked that KRCB News use only her first name because a family member works in law enforcement, and she says she worries her presence could be controversial.

She says she’s an ICU nurse at Providence hospitals in Sonoma County and has followed the immigration crackdown in the news, but Pretti’s death hit her unexpectedly hard.

 “I could feel that desire to help somebody in a moment of distress,” Meadow said. “It’s been distressing, like everything has been going on. But in that moment I could really identify with who he was as a human being. I could see myself and all of my co-workers in him and my husband.”

Meadow isn’t the only one who sees herself in Pretti.

Thor stands nearby in full scrubs, holding up a photo of Pretti on his phone. He says he came straight from a long shift as a surgical technician. He also asked to use only his first name, worried that attending a vigil protesting federal immigration actions could raise questions at work.

“I work in more than one location and one of them I know there are several that believe as pretty much as I do, but we're not revealing that to the ones that are in charge,” Thor said. "You know, we want to keep our jobs.”

Thor said Pretti’s death feels personal to health‑care workers.

 “This could have been us. It was that nurse instinct, that health‑care instinct to shield someone who was hurting," Thor said. "It’s heartbreaking. In a sense, we are all Alex.”

He says he honors Pretti’s bravery and hopes he’d act the same way if he ever faced a similar situation.

 “I’m at peace with being another Alex if it comes down to it," Thor said. "Enough is enough.”