{"id":7464,"date":"2026-01-29T09:07:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=7464"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:07:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:07:22","slug":"it-hit-me-in-a-way-i-wasnt-prepared-for-jimmy-kimmel-broke-down-as-new-behind-the-scenes-footage-of-alex-prettis-story-went-viral-and-the-internet-can","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow48.us\/?p=7464","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt Hit Me in a Way I Wasn\u2019t Prepared For.\u201d Jimmy Kimmel Broke Down as New Behind-the-Scenes Footage of Alex Pretti\u2019s Story Went Viral \u2014 and the Internet Can\u2019t Look Away** A deeply emotional moment unfolded on late-night television just last night, and within hours, millions of viewers were talking about it. Jimmy Kimmel, known for his humor and keen cultural observations, set aside the jokes during his monologue to address one of the most controversial and heartbreaking stories in the nation \u2014 the fatal shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti. But what truly struck a nerve worldwide wasn\u2019t just what Kimmel said \u2014 it was a newly released behind-the-scenes video he shared during the monologue. The clip, which had not been publicly seen until last night, shows Pretti earlier in his life: caring, cheerful, and deeply connected to his community. His words in that footage \u2014 now viewed more than 5 million times in just hours \u2014 have moved viewers beyond outrage to empathy and personal reflection… WATCH FULL VIDEO BELOW \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jimmy Kimmel\u00a0is once again putting jokes aside to address tragedy in the United States.<\/p>\n

On Monday night, the late-night host didn\u2019t mince words while discussing the killing of 37-year-old VA nurse Alex Pretti, who died at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol officers on Saturday in Minneapolis. During his opening monologue, Kimmel choked up as he called out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Trump administration amid\u00a0the second fatal shooting by ICE\u00a0in the Minnesota city.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI spent the weekend, like probably a lot of you did \u2014 looking at my phone \u2014 and just feeling shocked and sick about what is happening in Minneapolis,\u201d Kimmel began his monologue. \u201cOne video after another. Screaming people being torn from their families.\u00a0 Americans, people who were born in the United States, being pulled out of their cars for the crime of having an accent or whatever. Children, small children and babies, being tear-gassed, taken into custody, separated from their parents.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jimmy Kimmel during his Jan. 26, 2026, monologue on \u2018Jimmy Kimmel Live\u2019.<\/span>ABC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He continued, \u201cJust one atrocity after another being committed by this gang of poorly trained, shamefully led, mask-wearing goons. And that is what they are: they\u2019re goons committing vile, heartless, and even criminal acts.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Noting that\u00a0the news out of Minneapolis has been \u201csickening\u201d\u00a0and \u201cfrustrating\u201d to watch, Kimmel slammed the agency and Trump administration for shirking responsibility and\u00a0painting Pretti as an armed instigator.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey won\u2019t even admit that it was a mistake! They say the Honda SUV Renee Good was driving was \u2018weaponized,’\u201d Kimmel continued. \u201cThey fired 10 times onto an ICU nurse, they\u2019re telling us, \u2018Well, it was justified, you know?\u2019 Is that the law and order that you voted for, if you voted for this? Every day is a nightmare now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimmel\u2019s show of emotion comes days after an officer was\u00a0captured on camera shooting and killing\u00a0Pretti, who was shown holding up a cell phone to film ICE activity in Minneapolis after helping a woman. The incident occurred two weeks after another Minnesota resident, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, was shot and killed by an ICE agent while attempting to drive her vehicle away from a protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe keep saying we need to find subjects that we can agree on,\u201d Kimmel continued, \u201cCan we agree that peaceful protestors \u2014 including moms driving SUVs on their way back after dropping their six-year-old off at school and a nurse who stepped in to protect a woman from harm \u2014 don\u2019t deserve to be shot dead in the street by the people we are paying to protect us? Can we agree on that? Can we agree that when we see a person murdered in cold blood, that there should at least be an investigation of that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, Kimmel added, \u201cLet\u2019s cut the bulls\u2014 already. If that was ISIS instead of ICE, we\u2019d be firing missiles at somebody and pledging allegiance to the flag all together right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A memorial for Alex Pretti.<\/span>ROBERTO SCHMIDT \/ AFP via Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He also urged viewers to \u201cwatch every angle\u201d of Pretti\u2019s killing and \u201cdecide for yourself if that\u2019s making America great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kimmel then got choked up while speaking directly to those on the front lines of the conflict, adding, \u201cTo the people of Minneapolis \u2014 to the Pretti family and the Good family and these people who were looking out for their neighbors \u2014 we want you to know that we are with you and you are not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our\u00a0EW Dispatch newsletter.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kimmel later closed his monologue by honoring Pretti, \u201cthe man [U.S. Homeland Security advisor] Stephen Miller referred to as a would-be assassin.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fighting back tears, Kimmel told his audience, \u201cAlex Pretti was an ICU nurse who treated veterans, which is about as patriotic as it gets.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then played a video of Pretti\u00a0honoring one of his deceased patients\u00a0in 2024. During his tribute to the late veteran, Pretti says, \u201cToday we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it and even sacrifice for it. May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the video, a still-emotional Kimmel concluded by saying, \u201cAlex Pretti, may he rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch Kimmel address the tragedy and share footage of Pretti above.<\/p>\n