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 asserted that Pretti brandished a gun, presenting a threat to officers, yet no available video evidence supports this claim.
The NRA condemned remarks made by a federal prosecutor suggesting individuals carrying firearms could risk being lawfully shot as dangerous and wrong.
In their statement, the NRA stressed, Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.
The NRA, typically aligned with Donald Trump, responded to comments made by Bill Essayli, First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, who advised against approaching law enforcement while armed.
As we await these facts and gain a clearer understanding, we urge political voices to lower the temperature to ensure their constituents and law enforcement officers stay safe, the NRA added.
Critics from across the spectrum have condemned Essayli's statements. Gun Owners of America noted that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms during protests, while Republican Thomas Massie emphasized that carrying a firearm is a constitutionally protected right and not a death sentence.
For the second time this month, federal agents have been involved in a fatal shooting related to a crackdown on illegal immigration by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in Minneapolis. Eyewitness video has surfaced of the moments leading up to Pretti's shooting, raising further questions as conflicting accounts continue to emerge from state and federal officials.
In subsequent media interactions, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that agents acted to protect themselves and the public in what she termed defensive shots against Pretti. This statement was met with skepticism from local authorities, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who termed the administration's narrative nonsense and likened the scenario to an invasion.