Minneapolis left to decide future of streetside memorials to 2 people killed by federal officers

MINNEAPOLIS– As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota draws to a close, Minneapolis will have to decide how to handle makeshift memorial sites for two U.S. citizens killed by federal agents last month.

Piles of flowers, signs and artwork quickly formed to commemorate the lives of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the scene where they were fatally shot. The memorials are the site of candlelight vigils and musical performances and attract a steady stream of visitors.

The public mourning sites echo the community memorial to George Floyd, murdered in 2020 by a police officer less than a mile (1.61 kilometers) from Good’s killing. It took the city more than five years to figure out how to officially commemorate the George Floyd Square site, and construction is expected to begin this year.

Today, the city must manage two other large-scale memorials.

A memorial for Good sprung up hours after his Jan. 7 murder on a Minneapolis street.

And before the smell of tear gas used by federal agents dissipated on the day of Pretti’s killing, Jan. 24, protesters in Minneapolis were already using branches, police tape and candles to mark the space. Later, people placed crosses, stuffed animals, American flags and pictures of Pretti.

Minnesota resident Karel Hoffmann said that while she remained outraged by the killings of Good and Pretti, the memorials represented community solidarity.

“It’s so unfair, the trauma, for everyone, is too great,” Hoffmann said while visiting Pretti’s memorial recently. “We’re all in this together. And I’m really happy that they have this here so everyone can come and be together.”

Lynn Elrod, a nurse, visited Pretti’s memorial last month and added her own offering: a plastic evergreen tree with red hearts and portraits of him and Good.

“I printed both of their pictures and put them out there, just to signify the love that we have for both of them, really, and their contributions to the community and supporting their neighbors,” Elrod said.

The residential street where Good died remains open, but orange traffic cones provide a narrow passage for those paying their respects, and a small group of volunteers monitor the mound of flowers, artwork and handwritten signs that has accumulated between the sidewalk and the street.

Around the Pretti Memorial, along a commercial district known as “Eat Street,” traffic lanes have been temporarily shifted and parking is closed, said Jess Olstad, a spokeswoman for the city of Minneapolis.

“The City’s top priority is giving our community space to grieve and heal,” Olstad said. “This both ensures that emergency vehicles can pass through the area and protects those gathering or visiting the memorial.”

Olstad added that the city is “actively working on next steps, including continued community engagement regarding both memorials.”

Ally Peters, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jacob Frey, said last week that it was “too early” to say whether the memorials would be made permanent.

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.