Joliet Candle Vigil Set To Mourn Death Of Alex Pretti, Registered Nurse: Bring Candles Or Glow Sticks

JOLIET, IL — St. Joe's Hospital registered nurse and union leader Pat Meade told Joliet Patch that there will be a candlelight vigil on Wednesday night near downtown Joliet's Jefferson Street Bridge to mourn Saturday's death of Minneapolis registered nurse Alex Pretti, who was fatally shot by ICE agents.

According to Meade, Joliet will join the nursing community across the nation in Pretti's loss. Meade has asked for everyone to gather at the bridge, a backdrop that exemplifies that gaps are momentary and unity a certainty.

"In Memory of Alex Pretti, RN, ICU servant of those in need of acute care," Meade's event advisory reads.

Wednesday's event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Street Bridge on the downtown side, near the Joliet City Hall parking lot area. Meade urged people to bring candles or glow sticks. There will be a moment of silence and words of comfort for tomorrow, she said.

Meanwhile, the Illinois Nurses Association has issued its own statement on what they call "the ICE Murder Of Union Nurse Alex Pretti."

"Today, the nation witnessed yet another horrific act of state violence, the murder of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti by ICE in Minneapolis. Mr. Pretti was a dedicated caregiver within Veterans Affairs, a respected colleague and community member whose life was stolen in cold blood by the Immigration Enforcement.

"This is not simply a tragedy, this is murder. His death is the latest in a pattern of brutality unleashed by ICE and federal immigration forces in Minneapolis and Chicago, following multiple shootings and acts of force against residents, protesters and human rights observers alike."

The Illinois Nurses Association continued, "a man that devoted his life to healing people now lies dead because a militarized federal agency wielded lethal force on our streets."

RELATED: Pritzker, Johnson Call To Abolish ICE In Wake Of Fatal Minnesota Shooting

Lastly, INA declared, "ICE must be abolished. An agency that has terrorized immigrant communities, raided hospitals and now taken the life of a union healthcare worker has no place in a society that claims to value life, justice or human dignity. We call for the immediate dismantling of ICE and all militarized immigration enforcement operations that operate without accountability, transparency or respect for civil rights."