In the wake of the federal operation that ended in tragedy, Minneapolis finds itself suspended between fury and exhaustion. At the VA hospital, Alex Pretti is remembered not as a symbol, but as a person: the nurse who knew which veterans needed a joke before a procedure, who noticed shaking hands before anyone else, who stayed long after his shift because someone was scared to be alone. Friends recall the quiet loyalty behind his sarcasm, his habit of defending people who weren’t in the room, his belief that dignity wasn’t something you earned, but something you deserved by existing.

As agencies trade statements and timelines, Alex’s family keeps drawing the focus back to the human cost. They ask people to say his name with tenderness, not outrage alone. At vigils, stories take the place of slogans. In a city worn thin by loss, many are choosing to honor him not only by demanding answers, but by practicing the small, stubborn kindness he offered so easily.