The violent killing of Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse and AFGE member, has left the Department of Veterans Affairs workforce in mourning. However, the tragedy has been compounded by a public response from VA Secretary Doug Collins that AFGE Local 17 is calling “disgraceful” and void of leadership.
Alex Pretti was a federal employee who devoted his professional life to caring for Veterans in moments of crisis. According to reports cited by union leadership, Pretti was killed after coming to the aid of a woman who had been shoved to the ground by a federal agent. He was subsequently pepper-sprayed, beaten while on the ground, surrounded by federal agents, and shot multiple times.
For many VA employees who witnessed these events via widely circulated video, this was not just a news story. It was the violent death of a colleague, a caregiver, and a human being.
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Secretary Collins’ Statement on Alex Pretti
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Secretary Collins issued the following public statement regarding Alex Pretti’s death:
“We can confirm Alex Pretti was a nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. As President Trump has said, nobody wants to see chaos and death in American cities, and we send our condolences to the Pretti family. Such tragedies are unfortunately happening in Minneapolis because of state and local officials’ refusal to cooperate with the federal government to enforce the law and deport dangerous illegal criminals.”
Secretary Doug Collins statement on X re: Alex Pretti’s death
Local 17 Defends Alex Pretti: “Your Statement Did Not Meet That Moment”
AFGE Local 17 President Douglas Massey has formally responded to the Secretary, condemning the statement for substituting political messaging for leadership. The full text of Massey’s response is below.
“Alex Pretti was a VA ICU nurse, a federal employee, and an AFGE member… He was not a headline or a talking point,” Massey stated in his response to the Secretary. “Most people expect leaders to pause, reflect, and center the life that was lost and the community that is grieving… Your statement did not meet that moment.”
Massey emphasized that the VA workforce is asking for “restraint, empathy, and moral clarity,” noting that when leadership responds to the death of an employee like Alex Pretti with political rhetoric rather than compassion, it signals to every employee that their service may not truly matter.
Three Actions to Honor Alex Pretti’s Service
To demonstrate respect for Alex Pretti’s service and to begin repairing the trust eroded by the Secretary’s comments, AFGE Local 17 is demanding three immediate actions from VA leadership:
- A Public Apology: The Secretary must apologize to VA employees nationwide for the tone and substance of his initial statement. The union stressed that this apology must be “grounded in empathy, not politics.”
- Flags at Half-Staff: The Department should lower flags at VA facilities nationwide to half-staff until after Alex Pretti’s funeral, in recognition of his service as a VA nurse and federal employee.
- Mental Health Support: The VA must ensure that grief counseling and mental health support are made readily available at the Minneapolis VA facility and clearly communicated to employees across the system who are struggling with this loss.
Rebuilding Trust After the Loss of Alex Pretti
The union’s response highlights a critical breakdown in the relationship between VA leadership and its workforce following Alex Pretti’s death.
“Trust is the foundation of leadership,” Massey stated. “When employees lose confidence that their leaders will respond to tragedy with empathy and good faith, trust erodes. And trust, once lost, is extraordinarily difficult to rebuild.”
AFGE Local 17 stands firm in its position: This moment called for dignity and care, and VA employees noticed that it was not met. The union will continue to advocate for the respect Alex Pretti—and every VA employee—deserves.
Douglas Massey’s full Response to Secretary Collins
Secretary Collins,
Following your public statement regarding the killing of Alex Pretti, VA employees across the country have reached out to me to express their disappointment. I share that disappointment deeply.
Alex Pretti was a VA ICU nurse, a federal employee, and an AFGE member who devoted his professional life to caring for Veterans in moments of crisis. He was not a headline or a talking point. He was a colleague, a caregiver, and a human being whose loss is being profoundly felt by his family, his coworkers, and VA employees nationwide.
Alex was killed after coming to the aid of a woman who had been shoved to the ground by a federal agent. He was pepper-sprayed, beaten while on the ground, surrounded by federal agents, and then shot multiple times. These events were witnessed, directly or through widely circulated video, by VA employees across the country. For many, this was not just a news story. It was the violent death of one of our own.
In moments like this, leadership matters, both in tone and in substance. Most people expect leaders to pause, reflect, and center the life that was lost and the community that is grieving. As Scripture reminds us, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” That call to lead first with compassion cuts across faith, politics, and ideology. Your statement did not meet that moment. Instead, it substituted political messaging for leadership.
VA employees are not asking for rhetoric. We are asking for restraint, empathy, and moral clarity. We want to know that when tragedy strikes, our leadership sees us first as people, not as symbols or backdrops. Accordingly, VA leadership should take the following actions, each of which would demonstrate respect for Alex Pretti’s service and for the VA workforce you lead.
First, you should apologize to VA employees nationwide for the tone and substance of your initial statement. An apology grounded in empathy, not politics, would matter.
Second, the Department should lower flags at VA facilities nationwide to half-staff until after Alex Pretti’s funeral, in recognition of his service as a VA nurse and federal employee.
Third, VA should ensure that grief counseling and mental health support are made readily available at the Minneapolis VA facility and clearly communicated to employees across the system who are struggling with this loss.
Secretary Collins, one of our nurses lost his life under your leadership in a senseless act of violence. We are asking you to stand up and honor Alex Pretti, because how leadership responds to the death of one employee signals to every VA employee whether their service and their lives truly matter.
Trust is the foundation of leadership. When employees lose confidence that their leaders will respond to tragedy with empathy and good faith, trust erodes. And trust, once lost, is extraordinarily difficult to rebuild.
This moment called for dignity and care. VA employees noticed that it was not met. That matters.
Doug Massey, Esq.
President, AFGE Local 17
VA Central Office
Thank you for this response. I’m so proud to be a member of AFGE and proud of the statements from union leadership.