Alex was shot and killed on Saturday, just weeks after the shooting death of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good. The Department of Homeland Security says Alex was killed in self-defense, claiming he “violently resisted” an agent’s attempts to disarm him. However, videos reviewed by CNN, the New York Times, CBS News, and multiple other outlets appear to contradict those statements.
According to Minnesota officials, Alex was legally permitted to carry a firearm and had no criminal record. His family described him as a dedicated nurse, “a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends,” and someone who also cared for “American veterans” in his work.
He began by referencing Vice President JD Vance’s recent comments encouraging critics of ICE to “write an op-ed in the newspaper” or “argue about [their feelings] on social media.” Michael said, “Vice President JD Vance criticized protesters confronting ICE officers, saying they should instead write an op-ed or argue about it on social media. You know, just like these young scholars did on January 6th,” before displaying an image from the 2021 storming of the US Capitol.
“I get that ICE agents are people, allegedly, and they have a job to do,” he continued. “But at some point while you’re pepper-spraying old ladies or shooting at a nurse, do you ever stop to ask yourself, ‘Are we dicks?'”
The line drew laughs from the studio audience, but some viewers found it “tame” and underwhelming, given the circumstances.
Some viewers argued that joking about the situation at all was inappropriate.
“I can’t laugh at this,” one person said. “A man was just executed in front of my local donut shop. Take a fucking stand.”
Another said the show should have canceled the episode altogether, calling the decision “poor taste.” “I know that SNL is supposed to be funny, but this is absolutely not something that should be taken lightly by any measure at this point,” one more added. “Nothing about what is happening has comedy written on it. This needs to be taken 100% seriously with practical action being taken. All this does is numb stupid people to what’s going on and make them think, well if it’s being joked about it must not be as big of a deal. People need to wake the fuck up.”