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 came 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 of the incident. The Trump administration claims Pretti posed a danger to officers while allegedly armed, though there is no available evidence confirming he brandished a weapon.
The NRA criticized statements from federal officials suggesting that concealed carry advocates risk lawful retaliation, labeling them as 'dangerous and wrong'.
'Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens,' the NRA stated.
This reaction followed comments by First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli, who indicated that approaching law enforcement while armed could legally support officers' decisions to use force.
In a subsequent statement, the NRA insisted that a thorough inquiry into the officer-involved shooting should determine the justification for the use of force, urging a calm discourse among political figures to maintain safety for both citizens and law enforcement.
Gun advocacy groups and several politicians have criticized Essayli's remarks. Gun Owners of America reiterated that the Second Amendment upholds citizens' rights to carry firearms during protests, while Republican Thomas Massie affirmed that carrying firearms is a protected right.
Repeated deadly encounters with federal agents have heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement actions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Footage from bystanders captured key moments prior to Pretti's shooting, but differences in official narratives remain unresolved.
The Department of Homeland Security asserted that Pretti posed a significant threat, with Secretary Kristi Noem asserting that the use of force was justified in safeguarding officers’ lives.
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Mayor Jacob Frey have publicly condemned the federal characterization of the event as misleading, with accusations labeling the operation as an invasion.
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