Graham Nash, Neal Schon, Tom Morello and other rock stars took to social media to react to a Border Patrol agent fatally shooting 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.
You can see their reactions below.
What Happened to Alex Pretti?
On Saturday, federal agents in Minneapolis fatally shot killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who appeared to be using his phone to record U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Videos show agents pinning Pretti to the ground and hitting him, and one officer leaving with what appears to be a gun.
These videos appear to contradict claims that Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun” and “attacked” them, according to ABC News.
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Pretti’s death marked the second fatal Minneapolis shooting by a federal agent this month, following the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Both deaths have led to nationwide calls for more thorough investigations and the dismantling of ICE.
“The events of this weekend in Minneapolis are terrifying, deeply disturbing, and heartbreaking — with yet another U.S. citizen losing their life while taking part in the time-honored and Constitutionally protected activity of being present to observe and peacefully advocate for their beliefs,” Good’s family said in a statement released by their attorneys.
They continued: “We urge all Americans to trust their own eyes as they interpret the horrific video, and to call for an absolute end to ICE activity in Minneapolis. It has clearly gone too far and strayed far beyond its stated mission of removing criminal non-citizens from the country. It is time for a hard reset. ICE agents can leave Minneapolis. The residents of Minnesota cannot.”
Graham Nash Says ‘F**K ICE’ and ‘F**K Trump Too’
Nash offered a lengthy, full-throated denunciation of ICE on Instagram, marveling at the people who tell him to “stick to music” when his music has been politically motivated for decades. “Anytime I dare to have an opinion, as a human being, about what is going on around me there’s always the inevitable comment where somebody tells me to ‘stick to music,'” he wrote.
“Now, I’m getting older myself so maybe the people leaving those comments have trouble hearing. So do I! That’s the only reason I can think of that anyone would ever be shocked that myself, or anyone I’ve ever sung with, would talk about politics, the destruction of the environment, generational conflict, generational responsibility or the state of the world in an way.”
After detailing his extensive songwriting resume and naming political anthems such as “For What It’s Worth,” “Ohio” and “Teach Your Children,” Nash concluded: “So I’ll say it again… after just watching a bunch of thugs who call themselves ‘agents’ kill yet another human being: F**K ICE. And since these murderers are part of a government sanctioned agency I’ll say this and don’t bother getting mad about it: F**K TRUMP too.”
How Did Other Rockers React to the Murder of Alex Pretti?
Other rockers offered shorter but equally harsh critiques in the wake of Pretti’s murder.
“This is f—ing insane and it all needs to stop,” Schon wrote bluntly on X (formerly Twitter). When another X user inevitably told the Journey guitarist to “stick to music,” Schon responded: “Shut up. This was wrong.”
Morello likewise got into a heated exchange with an X user after referring to President Donald Trump as a “murdering idiot” on an unrelated post prior to the Pretti shooting.
“You support white men with guns now!! Got it!” the user wrote, to which Morello replied: “You support masked federal government secret police murdering US citizens now. Got it. (PS—ur likely a paid MAGA troll bot living in S. East Asia, but anyway).”
Not everybody sided against Border Patrol though. On Saturday, notoriously outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent posted a text graphic on Facebook that said: “Stop interfering with federal agents enforcing the law. Stay home. Save lives. Save your own.”
You can see these reactions and more below.
Rockers React to Border Patrol’s Killing of Alex Pretti
graham nash ice statement
See how rock stars have historically reacted to political unrest in our gallery of 20 protest songs that changed history:
20 Protest Songs That Changed History
Gallery Credit: Stacker
