The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday edition that chief executives officers at 3M, Target, Best Buy, General Mills, Cargill and four dozen other large Minnesota companies issued a public letter Sunday calling for an "immediate de-escalation of tensions" in the state. A New York Times dispatch to The Globe says the letter marks the first time that big Minnesota businesses have weighed in on the turmoil in Minneapolis amid the aggressive crackdown by federal immigration agents, which have sparked widespread protests. It comes one day after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, a nurse at the city's Veterans Affairs hospital, while he was being restrained during a protest in Minneapolis. "With yesterday's tragic news, we are calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions," the letter states. The letter was also signed by local sports teams: the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Wild. The letter is notable because many CEOs have sought to avoid weighing in on any politically charged issues during the second Trump administration. The statement did not call on protesters to change their behaviour.