Minneapolis, Minnesota - The younger sister of Alex Pretti shared an emotional statement following his fatal shooting by Customs and Border Protection officials in Minneapolis.
In a letter published by the Minnesota Star Tribune, Micayla Pretti described her brother as "incredibly intelligent and deeply passionate," and someone who "made people feel safe."
"I had the privilege of being his little sister for 32 years. I will never be able to hug him, laugh with him, or cry to him again because of those thugs - and that is a pain no words can fully capture," she wrote.
"Alex always wanted to make a difference in this world, and it's devastating that he won't be here to witness the impact he was making."
"All Alex ever wanted was to help someone – anyone. Even in his very last moments on this earth, he was simply trying to do just that."
Pretti was killed on January 23 after coming to the aid of woman pushed the ground by immigration officials. Video of the incident shows agents wrestling Pretti to the ground, removing a legal firearm he had holstered on his waist, and then fatally shooting him after he had already been subdued.
His death came nearly three weeks after another Minneapolis resident, Renee Good, was killed by an ICE agent, sending shockwaves throughout the country.
Micayla went on to thank everyone that has reached out to her family with "overwhelming positivity," adding: "My brother is, and always will be, my hero."
Pretti's sister addresses Trump administration's "disgusting lies"
Immediately after Alex's death and before any type of investigation was conducted, President Donald Trump and his administration aggressively pushed the narrative that Alex had intended to kill agents, despite videos from multiple angles clearly showing otherwise.
While she didn't mention them by name, Micayla concluded her statement seemingly asking the Trump administration, "When does this end?"
"How many more innocent lives must be lost before we say enough? Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth. He would be very proud."