Bulwark Takes: A Colleague Remembers Alex Pretti

Guest: Dr. Aasma Shaukat
Host: Sam Stein
Date: January 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Bulwark Takes shifts away from the news cycle’s political debates and protest analyses to focus on the personal story of Alex Pretti, a healthcare worker in Minneapolis who was killed the previous day during an ICE-related protest. Dr. Aasma Shaukat, Alex’s former colleague and supervisor at the Minneapolis VA, joins host Sam Stein to share memories and reflections, offering listeners an intimate portrait of Alex’s character, his journey in healthcare, and how colleagues are processing his tragic loss.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Introducing Alex Pretti

• Meeting Alex: Dr. Shaukat recalls first interviewing and hiring Alex for his first job in healthcare as a research assistant at the Minneapolis VA.

  "I met Alex when he was looking to get his first job in the healthcare area...he didn't have much experience, but he had a lot of enthusiasm." (Dr. Aasma Shaukat, 01:50)

Early Career and Character

• Dedication & Empathy: Alex began as a research coordinator, working closely with patients, particularly veterans, handling study recruitment, consent, and follow-up for cancer screening research.
• Standout Qualities: He was noted for his empathy, diligence, and readiness to take on extra work—never shying from supporting his team or his patients.

  "It was his empathy that let him kind of connect with patients and veterans in particular, that made him a really good research coordinator." (Dr. Shaukat, 02:51)

Personal Life and Financial Struggles

• Side Jobs: Despite his passion for healthcare, Alex needed to supplement his modest income with side gigs like pizza delivery.

  "He delivered pizzas at night to make ends meet, and he was trying to qualify to be a Uber driver, but his car was too old." (Dr. Shaukat, 03:58)

• Team Support: His coworkers looked out for him, ensuring he was cared for during financially tight periods.

Personality and Interests

• Quiet, Outdoorsy, Nature-Loving: Alex preferred spending time in nature, often hiking or biking. Team lunches were often spent outside at Minnehaha Park’s Sea Salt restaurant.

  "He loved spending time with nature. He was very outdoorsy... He really enjoyed being in the outdoors." (Dr. Shaukat, 04:55)

Professional Growth

• Nursing School Support: The team encouraged and accommodated Alex as he pursued nursing school, allowing him flexible hours to combine work and studies.

  "He expressed an interest to start nursing school. So we supported his application. I wrote letters for his nursing school application." (Dr. Shaukat, 05:44)

• Return as Nurse: After qualifying, Alex returned to work as an ICU nurse at the same hospital, where he stayed until his death.

Alex’s Demeanor—In Life and at Work

• Calm Under Pressure: Dr. Shaukat validates the public’s impression from a recently-shared video of Alex exhibiting calm and gentle professionalism at a patient’s bedside.

  "There was no pretense. And he was always about helping everybody around him, his community, his colleagues. He was the kind of person that would open doors..." (Dr. Shaukat, 07:08)

Community Engagement

• Protests & Social Justice: It was not a surprise to Dr. Shaukat that Alex participated in protests against ICE, given his record of standing up for vulnerable people during the George Floyd protests as well.

  "He really cared about his community, about taking care of individuals that were vulnerable or he thought were in harm's way." (Dr. Shaukat, 08:18)

Processing the News of His Death

• Learning of Alex’s Death: Dr. Shaukat recounts the shock and disbelief upon learning the news from former colleagues.

  "It was... very shocking and just very surprising. The Alex we knew, you would never guess that he would be the kind of person... to be caught up in something like this." (Dr. Shaukat, 09:16)

• Not a Violent Instigator: She firmly rejects characterizations of Alex as an instigator or threat, emphasizing his peaceful nature.

  "If there was somebody that he thought was in harm's way or had fallen and he needed to help them or protect them or support them, he would do that." (Dr. Shaukat, 09:57) "There was never any suspicion that he had any intent other than to just help others." (Dr. Shaukat, 12:14)

Witnessing the Incident

• Reaction to the Video: Dr. Shaukat describes watching the footage of the incident as "gut-wrenching," highlighting Alex's vulnerability and non-threatening demeanor.

  "It was gut wrenching and very, very horrifying... Alex was not a big guy... he was not threatening in any way shape or form." (Dr. Shaukat, 10:24)

• Discussion of Weapons: She never knew Alex to carry a gun, speculating that any recent changes may have been for self-protection due to rising crime post-pandemic, but stresses there was “no fault in that."

Responding to Political Narratives

• Rejecting 'Instigator' Claims: Dr. Shaukat addresses political rhetoric that paints Alex as a violent actor, countering that narrative emphatically.

  "Those narratives just don't fit. And you know, what I see is an upstanding citizen exerting his right and participating in a peaceful protest and then coming to the aid of another fellow citizen." (Dr. Shaukat, 13:28)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Alex’s empathy:

  "It was his empathy that let him kind of connect with patients and veterans in particular, that made him a really good research coordinator." (02:51)

• On financial realities:

  "He delivered pizzas at night to make ends meet, and he was trying to qualify to be a Uber driver, but his car was too old." (03:58)

• On Alex's nature:

  "He loved spending time with nature. He was very outdoorsy... He really enjoyed being in the outdoor and, you know, our theme lunches used to be in this beautiful park." (04:55)

• On professional growth:

  "He expressed an interest to start nursing school...We let him do that. Honestly, we just wanted to help him." (05:44)

• On calm professionalism:

  "He was just very calm...he was always about helping everybody around him, his community, his colleagues." (07:08)

• On standing up for others:

  "He really cared about his community, about taking care of individuals that were vulnerable or he thought were in harm's way." (08:18)

• On political rhetoric:

  "Those narratives just don't fit...what I see is an upstanding citizen exerting his right and participating in a peaceful protest and then coming to the aid of another fellow citizen." (13:28)

Important Timestamps

• Alex’s Introduction and Hiring: 01:50
• Early Career & Empathy: 02:51
• Side Jobs & Team Support: 03:58
• Alex’s Personal Interests: 04:55
• Nursing School & Growth: 05:44
• Bedside Manner & Calm: 07:08
• Social Justice Engagement: 08:18
• Reaction to Death & Video: 09:16 – 10:24
• Rejecting False Narratives: 13:28

Tone and Final Reflections

The episode is intimate and solemn, prioritizing Alex Pretti’s humanity over political argument. Dr. Shaukat’s calm, caring recollections stand in marked contrast to the charged rhetoric swirling around the incident, grounding Alex’s legacy in kindness, service, and everyday decency.

"Ultimately, at the end of the day, we lost a person, and you need to remember that, as well as all the politics and stuff." (Sam Stein, 14:08)