See which Minnesota healthcare CEOs signed letter calling for 'immediate deescalation of tensions' following shooting of Alex Pretti

Tensions in Minnesota, the home of major healthcare companies including UnitedHealth Group and the Mayo Clinic, are rising due to the presence of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, who have killed two citizens: Renee Good, an unarmed mother, shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Jan. 7, and on Saturday, Alex Pretti, an intensive care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, shot by a federal Border Patrol agent.

In response, the CEOs of more than 60 of Minnesota’s largest companies have signed an open letter asking for peace and focused cooperation among leaders. The letter was released by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 25, and included signatures from:

• Dana Erickson, president and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
• Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO, Mayo Clinic
• Mostafa Kamal, president and CEO, Prime Therapeutics
• Stephen J. Hemsley, CEO, UnitedHealth Group

“With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions,” the letter reads.

Pretti was killed in the street while filming Border Patrol federal agents, according to multiple bystander accounts. In a federal court filing, one witness said that Pretti had just been helping a woman shoved to the ground by an agent.

Federal agents have said Pretti approached them first, with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying during a press conference on Saturday, Pretti “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”

However, the Associated Press reports that Pretti was holding a camera, not his gun. Witness videos show a federal agent disarming Pretti’s gun from his waistband before another agent fired what appears to be 10 shots, killing Pretti, the Washington Post reports.

Other healthcare organizations and company CEOs that signed the letter include:

• Kenneth Holmen, M.D., president and CEO, CentraCare Health
• Rodney Young, CEO, Delta Dental of Minnesota
• Dr. David Herman, CEO, Essentia Health
• James Hereford, president and CEO, Fairview Health Services
• Barbara Joers, president and CEO, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare
• Andrea Walsh, president and CEO, HealthPartners
• Lisa Erickson, president and CEO, Medica
• Geoff Martha, CEO and chairman, Medtronic

Notable non-healthcare CEOs that signed include:

• Beth Ford, president and CEO, Land O'Lakes
• Michael Fiddelke, incoming CEO, Target
• Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy
• Jeff Harmening, chairman and CEO, General Mills

“The business community in Minnesota prides itself in providing leadership and solving problems to ensure a strong and vibrant state,” the letter continues. “The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life. For the past several weeks, representatives of Minnesota’s business community have been working every day behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions. These efforts have included close communication with the governor, the White House, the vice president, and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster progress.”

The letter came after a mass protest of thousands on Jan. 23 in subzero temperatures—wind chill values were as low as minus 35. Many small businesses in Minneapolis closing or curtailing their services in support of the protesters.

Nursing associations have also spoken out about the incident. Among them, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) called for a prompt investigation of video footage of the incident.

“In his final moments, it appeared Alex was providing compassionate care to an individual from the community who was on the ground. Subsequently, he was killed,” the ANA statement reads. “ANA refuses to normalize violence and fear, regardless of who perpetuates it, both in professional care settings and within our communities.”

The ANA statement also includes a template for concerned citizens looking to “demand change” from their local legislators.

“The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) joins our fellow nursing and healthcare organizations in expressing our deepest condolences to Alex’s loved ones, colleagues and all who knew him,” the AACN statement reads. “We also pause to reinforce that nurses’ advocacy extends beyond patients and patients’ families to work toward a society in which safety and well-being are the norm. AACN supports a complete and transparent investigation and urges that findings be made available promptly.”