In the wake of the shooting death of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, who was shot by federal immigration officers on Jan. 24, a large number of people gathered on the streets of downtown Anoka in theevening holding a candlelight vigil in his honor along Main Street.
According to reporting by The Associated Press, Pretti, 37, was an intensive care unit nurse who was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis earlier that day.
Residents stood along Main Street beneath streetlights, holding candles during the vigil. Participants braved frigid conditions, with temperatures around 6 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, bundled in winter clothing for protection from the cold. Some attendees sang, while others held signs.
The vigil followed a statewide call to action titled “Shine a Light for Minnesota,” which encouraged people to step outside at 7 p.m. and light candles in their neighborhoods in honor of Pretti. Organizers framed the event as a protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, with similar gatherings held across the state.