Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis shooting: Alex Pretti remembered for helping others
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Through friends and neighbors, Alex Pretti’s life is coming into clearer focus.
‘Doing what little he could’
What we know:
Whether it was bringing hot dogs for a National Night Out block party or just walking his dog around the neighborhood, neighbors say Alex Pretti always wanted to help others. And they say they are heartbroken he was killed doing just that.
“It’s horrifying. Incomprehensible. What do you even do with that information? It’s almost impossible to process because how does something like that happen? How is it even possible?” said neighborhood Nathan Duin.
‘Not well, not safe, disconcerted’
The backstory:
Family members say Pretti was born in Illinois but grew up in Green Bay, Wis., and graduated from Preble High School, where he often sang in the choir and performed in musicals.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota and worked as a research scientist before going back to school to become a registered nurse at the VA.
“He was a gentle person and he was kind. And he loved his dog. and he was always smiles and all that,” said neighbor Jeane Wiener.
Family members say Pretti was also an avid outdoorsman, who loved mountain biking and cared immensely about the environment.
A neighbor says one of his last conversations with Pretti was about trimming some overgrown branches on a tree near his building.
“He was just a mellow dude. He liked his cars. He liked his outdoor stuff,” said neighbor Tim Roehl.
‘I feel very sad’
What they’re saying:
Neighbors say the picture federal officials are painting of Pretti doesn’t line up with the man they knew.
But even trying to set the record straight won’t heal the hole in their hearts.
“I hope this is enough and they just move on,” said Duin.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis shooting leaves man dead outside building on Chicago Ave
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A man has died after he was shot in Minneapolis Wednesday morning.
Fatal shooting on Chicago Avenue
What we know:
According to Minneapolis police, officers responded around 11 a.m. to reports of a shooting on the 1900 block of Chicago Avenue.
Police say that a man in his 20s was shot outside a building on Chicago Avenue. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
What we don’t know:
Police did not say what led up to the shooting, and they did not share any suspect details.
Police did not say if any arrests have been made.
The Source: A press release from the Minneapolis Police Department.
Minneapolis, MN
Operation Metro Surge cost Minneapolis $700 million, city leaders say
Operation Metro Surge cost Minneapolis nearly $700 million in lost wages and business closures, according to an updated assessment city leaders released Wednesday.
The report looked at figures from December 2025 through April 2026. Previously, the city had released data showing that the federal immigration enforcement action cost the city $203 million in January alone.
The Whittier and Central neighborhoods were the most impacted, the analysis says, as those areas reported the most Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity during the surge.
Colonial Market’s Daniel Hernandez said he was selling just 15% of his stock during the surge at his south Minneapolis location. He had only just opened the grocery store in November 2024, and despite a strong start, revenue only declined as community members faced uncertainty about immigration policies. He said he’s forced to shut down his Lake Street location after losing $3 million.
“I might be in the floor right now but I know I’m going to go up again,” said Hernandez. “Because our community deserves a place that cares about them, and that place is us, Colonial Market.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey touted the city’s small business resiliency fund, which last week sent license fee refunds to 1,200 businesses.
“Minneapolis is resilient, we’re compassionate, we’re tough and we have consistently shown grit,” Frey said, while encouraging residents to patron restaurants and stores.
According to new research from North Star Policy Action, the state’s leisure and hospitality industry was the most deeply impacted sector across the state. The sector also represents 8.7% of the state’s workforce and is on average one of the lowest-paid industries, with most employees working paycheck-to-paycheck.
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Cafe Cuts Prices to Zero in Protest—and Profits Rise
A Minneapolis diner scrapped its prices in protest—and is somehow making more money. That’s the crux of a New York Times piece on Modern Times, a 15-year neighborhood staple that became “Post Modern Times” after owner Dylan Alverson decided he no longer wanted to collect sales tax for a government he saw as harming his community during the massive ICE operation there this winter. In January, he switched to a donation-only model “for the remainder of the government occupation,” braced for collapse, and instead watched his business surge, even though roughly half of his customers now pay nothing for their meals.
Reporter Brett Anderson outlines how the experiment has morphed from tax protest into something closer to a social and economic test case. Alverson says he’s finally earning more than he did running a conventional restaurant that pulled in $1.3 million in sales last year and still lost money, aided by merch revenue and outside donations. The change is now permanent. “I have succeeded more than I ever did when I was running a conventional business employing 22 people,” he says. “I think that’s proof that something is wrong.” The streamlined menu remains cooked from scratch; a security presence and staff mediation help manage tensions; and regulars say the space now functions as a rare zone of “economic equality.” For the financials, backlash, and industry context, read the full story at the New York Times.
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