Was alex pretti fired from the va hosp 3 months ago?

Checked on January 27, 2026
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Executive summary

No — credible reporting and official records do not support the viral claim that Alex Pretti was fired from the Minneapolis VA hospital three months ago; the allegation appears to originate from a fabricated article on a website called buzzreport247 and has been debunked by multiple outlets [1] [2]. Contemporaneous news reporting, colleagues’ statements and state licensing records describe Pretti as an active VA ICU nurse whose license remained valid into 2026 [3] [4] [5].

1. What the viral claim says and where it came from

The circulating narrative that Pretti had been fired rests primarily on a bogus report published by the site buzzreport247, which quoted a purported doctor named Elena Vasquez and claimed Pretti had been let go from a non-VA facility; fact-checkers and mainstream outlets identify that story as fabricated and as the likely origin of the internet rumor [1] [2]. Social posts recycled the buzzreport247 article without independent verification, and Times Now and Hindustan Times specifically trace the false claim to that single, unreliable source [1] [2].

2. What independent reporting and colleagues say about his employment

Multiple reputable news organizations interviewed colleagues, reviewed public records, and reported Pretti as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center up through his death in January 2026; colleagues called him a dedicated caregiver and a valued co-worker, directly contradicting the idea that he had been fired months earlier [3] [5] [6]. The VA and veteran community leaders publicly acknowledged him as a VA nurse, and local coverage described coworkers and supervisors remembering his years of service at the Minneapolis VA [7] [8].

3. Licensing and tenure evidence — active credential and years of service

State and professional records reported in the press show Pretti’s nursing license was active through at least March 31, 2026, and contemporaneous profiles place him working in the Minneapolis VA ICU for several years after obtaining his license in 2021, which undercuts any claim he had been terminated three months earlier [4] [3] [5]. Multiple outlets note he transitioned from research work and nursing school into the VA ICU role, and colleagues attest to him having worked at the Minneapolis VA for roughly five years, reinforcing that he remained employed there at the time of his death [2] [3].

4. How the misinformation spread and why it matters

The bogus dismissal story spread quickly because it dovetailed with political narratives about protests, law enforcement and public-sector workers; fact-checkers highlight that fabricated local-byline sites often mimic legitimate reporting to gain shares, and in this case the false account was amplified on social media before major outlets could confirm employment facts [1] [2]. Mainstream reporting and statements from VA colleagues and officials countered the falsehood, but the initial deception shows how a single invented article can seed persistent rumors during high-profile, emotionally charged events [1] [2].

5. Limits of available reporting and final assessment

All available, credible reporting examined here points to the same conclusion: there is no evidence that Alex Pretti was fired from the Minneapolis VA hospital three months before he was shot; the firing claim originated with a fabricated article and was debunked by fact-checkers and established news outlets, while public records and colleagues place him as an active VA ICU nurse with a valid license into 2026 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. If other documentary evidence exists beyond the sources compiled in contemporary news coverage, it was not cited in the reporting reviewed for this analysis, and therefore cannot be confirmed here [1] [2].

Want to dive deeper?
What reputable fact-checks have traced the origins of viral news fabricated by sites like buzzreport247?
What do state nursing boards’ public records show about the licensing status of nurses involved in high-profile incidents?
How have mainstream outlets verified employment status in other cases of contested claims about public employees?