Vigil held in Toronto for man killed by U.S. Border Patrol in Minneapolis

A U.S. Border Patrol patch is seen, Nov. 3, 2025, in Rosemont, Ill. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

TORONTO — Dozens of people gathered outside the U.S. Consulate in Toronto on Tuesday for a vigil in memory of Alex Pretti, who was killed by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis on Saturday.

The 37-year-old was an intensive care nurse at a veterans affairs hospital and his family said he took part in protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.

U.S. officials have said that Pretti, who had a permit to carry a gun, was armed and officers fired defensively after he approached them.

But bystander videos do not appear to show Pretti holding a weapon before he was shot and his death has sparked widespread outrage and further protests.

Organizers of the vigil in Toronto said there were at least 150 people in attendance at one point, while police estimated there were about 60.

Claudia Calabro, one of the organizers, said it’s important for people to grieve together when experiencing something traumatic.

“My husband’s American and we have lots of family and friends and loved ones there,” Calabro said.

“We are sick to our stomach for them and for their communities and their neighbours, but in the end it doesn’t matter if you know people who are there or not.

“No one deserves to be murdered in the street for standing up for their neighbour. And that’s what Alex Pretti was doing.”

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions said in a statement this week that Pretti was killed “for trying to help and for speaking up for peace.”

The group representing more than 250,000 union nurses said they are “proud of Alex’s actions and stand with his family and colleagues.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

With files from The Associated Press