People gathered in Cincinnati, Loveland & cities around the nation

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (January 31, 2026) – During this past week, people gathered in cities all around our nation to remember Alex Pretti and Renee Good; the two people who were killed during their protest of ICE actions in Minneapolis, MN.

On Wednesday evening they gathered in Cincinnati and here in Loveland. The event was heralded as a peaceful and loving vigil to “honor lives lost and families impacted by ICE”. In Loveland, people were invited to assemble from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. with a light or lighted candle on the sidewalk along the Loveland bridge on W. Loveland Avenue crossing the Little Miami River between Riverside Avenue and Karl Brown Way. About 60 people walked back and forth across the bridge during the first 30 minutes. It appeared peaceful as some carried lights or candles in temperatures dipping from near 20-degrees down into the low teens with single-digit wind chills. More may have joined in the final 30 minutes maybe swelling the group to near 80 people total.

Peaceful? Yes. But the agitators also came carrying signs of protest against ICE and enforcement of immigration laws in general. The event was supposed to show love and respect to honor Alex Pretti and Renee Good. It’s difficult to explain how those signs demonstrate love and respect. It’s easier to imagine how those signs could agitate others  and turn the intended peaceful vigil into a confrontational protest. Traffic crossing the bridge at the height of Loveland’s evening rush hour responded to what they saw. Horns honked, shouts came from cars, some played loud music with windows rolled down. It is hard to say how many were showing support and how many expressing opposition, but it was clear both sounded off.  

The planned peaceful vigil still revealed the controversy surrounding support, or opposition to, ICE agents enforcing immigration laws, seeking to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants versus protesters impeding their efforts. Minneapolis has become ground zero for the argument with violent confrontations between ICE agents and agitators/protesters daily for weeks now. It was in those violent confrontations Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed in two separate incidents. Good is accused of attempting to run over an ICE agent with her vehicle while Pretti showed up in possession of a gun he legally owned. 

While ICE agents were quickly cleared of any wrongdoing in the Renee Good killing, questions remain surrounding the shooting of Alex Pretti. Investigations are underway in both cases. The public outcry is reportedly overwhelmingly against ICE actions and the enforcement of immigration laws for the deportation of illegal immigrants.

Renee Good should not have died. Alex Pretti should not have died. Law enforcement officers should not fear for their lives while carrying out their lawful duties. No one should die in the course of legal enforcement of laws set forth clearly in the US Constitution. Interfering with the enforcement of those laws itself is illegal.

It is a terrible tragedy two lives were lost. It is also a tragedy law enforcement officers are being assaulted while carrying out the responsibilities of their job. Worse yet is Renee Good and Alex Pretti are being martyred as heroes. Don’t be confused. They crossed the line from protester to agitator and criminals failing to comply with the commands of law enforcement officers trying to control a violent chaotic protest scene; to protect the lives of innocent bystanders, not to assault or kill anyone. Renee Good and Alex Pretti are not heroes. Both died in the commission of illegal activity, criminal activity.

 I’ll say it again: no, they should not have died. No one should have died. They made the choice to refuse to cooperate. Their choice. Maybe when the investigations have been completed, we’ll learn the truth. Peaceful vigil, or violent protest?  In Loveland it seems peace held the day despite some who seemed set on agitation, not love and respect for all.