Community Joins AFGE's Nationwide Vigil for Alex Pretti
On February 1, community members, labor leaders, veterans and elected officials gathered outside the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center to join the National Vigil to honor the life of Alex Pretti, a longtime VA employee whose career was defined by service to others.
Pretti was shot and killed by Border Patrol officers on Jan. 24 in Minneapolis. The Justice Department has opened a federal civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death, according to the Associated Press.
The candlelight vigil was both a remembrance of Pretti’s life and a broader call for accountability, compassion and safety for those who serve the most vulnerable. Pretti cared for veterans in the ICU — a role that requires not only medical skill, but deep empathy and resilience.
A vigil was also held in Columbus outside the Columbus VA Medical Center. Cincinnati held a vigil last week.
“Alex Pretti worked with the most vulnerable — veterans in the ICU unit,” said Steve Campisi, legislative and political organizer for Districts 6 and 7 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). “It takes a special person to care for veterans. There are a lot of specialized issues. What stood out about him is that his whole life was dedicated to serving people, and he died that way — standing up for a vulnerable woman.”