CHENEY, Wash. — Eastern Washington University students gathered for a candlelight vigil Tuesday evening to honor Alex Pretti, a man killed by federal agents in Minneapolis over the weekend.
Pretti is the second U.S. citizen this month to be killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. The shooting has sparked vigils and protests across the country.
According to CNN, Pretti had a confrontation with federal agents one week before the shooting. ICE agents allegedly broke his ribs by tackling him while trying to detain people during a protest. The Department of Homeland Security responded, stating “DHS law enforcement has no record of this incident.”
Eastern student Prax Golden organized the vigil in two days after recognizing the community needed a place to honor those killed by ICE.
“A lot of people all throughout the country are grieving, and a lot of people are afraid,” Golden said. “It’s been a scary time lately.”
Golden prepared hundreds of candles for the vigil, hoping to show solidarity with Minneapolis while demonstrating to Spokane County residents that they are not alone.
“People all over the country want to make it known that they’re standing with Minneapolis, standing with the people that have been killed,” Golden said.
Protests erupted across the country following the killing of Renee Good a few weeks ago and intensified when Pretti was shot over the weekend.
“People are realizing that anybody who stands up can be in danger now. Which is why it’s more important than ever for everybody to stand up,” Golden said.
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