The National Rifle Association (NRA) has joined other US gun lobby groups in calling for a full investigation by the Trump administration into the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Comments from the NRA come after a border agent fatally shot Pretti, a registered nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, in Minneapolis on Saturday.
State and federal officials have given starkly different accounts. The Trump administration has claimed that Pretti carried a gun and posed a danger to officers - a claim that is disputed as no available video shows Pretti holding a gun.
The NRA labeled a suggestion by a federal prosecutor that individuals who carry guns risk being lawfully shot by officers as dangerous and wrong.
Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens, the NRA said in a statement.
The NRA, typically aligned with Donald Trump, was reacting to comments from First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, who stated that approaching law enforcement with a gun increases the likelihood of being shot. Bill Essayli remarked, If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don't do it! This prompted strong rebukes from other gun advocacy groups and politicians alike.
Gun Owners of America emphasized that the Second Amendment protects Americans' right to bear arms while protesting, asserting that the government should not infringe on this right. Republican Thomas Massie stated, Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence; it's a constitutionally protected God-given right. If you don't understand this, you have no business in law enforcement or government. In a follow-up post, Essayli clarified that he did not intend to suggest it was legally justified to shoot law-abiding concealed carriers, but was addressing behaviors of those who approach law enforcement while armed.
This incident marks the second fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis linked to immigration enforcement efforts. Eyewitness videos documented the moments leading up to Pretti's shooting.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed that a weapon associated with Pretti was a threat, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended agents' actions as necessary for public safety, stating, They responded according to their training. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned this account as nonsense and lies, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey compared the federal operation to an invasion.
