‘We Want Justice’: Alex Pretti’s Family Speaks Out

Welcome back to The Flyover, your daily digest of important, overlooked, and/or interesting Minnesota news stories. 

"I Was Not Shocked That He Helped Somebody. My Shock Is That He Was Murdered."

For the first time since Alex Pretti was shot and killed on Nicollet Avenue in January, his family—father Michael Pretti, mother Susan Pretti, and sister Micayla Pretti—sat down with Good Morning America for a televised interview.

Michael and Susan describe their son as "a good man" and "a good kid," respectively, who cared deeply about Minneapolis and felt passionate about injustice. The family recounts the horror and uncertainty of that first day: learning about the details of Alex's death from the news, trying and failing to get answers. "We still haven't heard from anyone," says Susan. His father talks about the sickening, surreal feeling of hearing the president disparage your son; his sister calls for the names of his shooters to be officially released.

"We want justice, we want accountability from the people that did this to Alex," Michael tells Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos.

You can watch the full segment below, but you're gonna cry.

Annunciation, Nearly 1 Year Later

And if that hasn’t got you sad enough, let us direct you to a piece by Elizabeth Shockman for MPR about how Annunciation is holding up nearly a year after a shooter opened fire on the south Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two students and wounding many others. 

Much of the story concerns what adjustments need to be made when a school becomes a site of trauma. “There were kids who every day walking into this building was a hurdle, and there are kids who that still is a hurdle, and it will continue to be,” says Annunciation’s dean of academic excellence, Sheila Loschy. 

Shockman also speaks to Jenny Britton, the chief clinical officer at the Washburn Center for Children, a mental health org, about the strain on the community in general resulting from so many crises over the past year. “The helpers are tired and they also need help,” Britton says.  

Jungle Theater to Close on Building Sale

Jungle Theater announced Tuesday that it will close on the sale of its space on Lyndale Avenue in September. “The costs of owning the building have outpaced revenue for years,” writes board chair Rich Thompson via Facebook. “We could keep the building or keep the Jungle. We chose the Jungle.” 

Earlier this week, the Jungle listed a slew of items up for auction. But the really cool stuff—the collection of props, costumes, and set pieces—has already been donated to around 18 or so local theaters and arts orgs.

Since 1991, the Jungle has been a major creative hub in Lyn-Lake, producing edgy modern works (Cambodian Rock Band, Ride the Cyclone), fresh takes on classics (Waiting for Godot, A Doll’s House), and world-premiere plays, including the beloved Christmas at Pemberley series. But its future came into question this year when it canceled its ‘25-’26 season back in January. By May, the Jungle’s space at 2951 Lyndale Avenue had officially hit the market.   

It’s unclear what’s next for Jungle, but many theater orgs have managed to maintain success without a venue, including Theater Mu, Walking Shadow Theatre, and Mixed Precipitation, home of the touring Pickup Truck Opera. 

Breaking: Fair Fish-Cam Now Live

The Minnesota State Fair does't start until Thursday, but the MN DNR's annual fish pond is already in full-on party mode. Each year, it adds about 40 different aquatic species native to Minnesota into the mix for you to enjoy live at the fair or live online. You can watch all kinds of little fellers swimming around below.