What to know
- A candlelight vigil is being held in Toronto to honour Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old American nurse shot and killed by a U.S. ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
- Video of the shooting circulated widely on social media, sparking outrage and protests across the United States.
- The Canadian Federation of Nurses and the Canadian Medical Association expressed solidarity with Pretti and his colleagues, highlighting his courageous actions helping others before he was killed.
- Attendees are encouraged to bring candles, photos, wreaths, and signs to demonstrate support and remember Pretti and other victims of ICE.
A candlelight vigil is being held in Toronto on Tuesday to honour an American nurse killed after being shot by a U.S. federal immigration agent, as outrage and grief over the incident, including among Canadians and health-care workers, continue to grow.
Thirty-seven–year-old Minnesota Nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 24.
Shortly after, video of the killing quickly spread on social media, leading to outrage and protests across the U.S.
Pretti’s death is the latest at the hands of an ICE agent, after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot dead by an agent just weeks earlier on Jan. 7. Her death was also captured on video.
A candle light vigil to honour Pretti and “all victims of ICE” is set to be held in front of the U.S. Consulate in Toronto at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a post on Reddit.
Guests are being encouraged to bring candles, wreaths, photos, and signs to demonstrate their solidarity.
The Canadian Federation of Nurses (CFNU) released a statement on Monday expressing solidarity with Pretti, highlighting his actions in the moments before his death. Video shows Pretti helping a woman who was being pepper-sprayed by ICE agents, before he was shot.
“The over 250,000 union nurses of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) are proud of Alex’s actions and stand with his family and colleagues,” the union said. “We also support the call from our sister union National Nurses United and call on the U.S. Congress to abolish ICE and invest in health care.”
The union says Pretti’s actions show what millions of Americans just like him are doing every day which is “standing up for one another.”
“No one should be killed, leaving their family behind to grieve in anger,” the union said.
The Canadian Medical Association also released a statement expressing grief and solidarity with the nursing community.
“The death of one of our own under these circumstances has left many of us filled with anger and disbelief,” the association said. “Doctors and nurses work closely together each and every day to provide care to patients. The tragic, avoidable death of a colleague is heart-wrenching.”
