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 of the incident. The Trump administration claims Pretti was carrying a firearm and posed a danger to officers, while there is currently no video evidence showing Pretti with a gun.
The NRA labeled a suggestion by a federal prosecutor that people 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 emphasized in a statement.
Typically aligned with Donald Trump, the NRA's response came after comments from First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California on Saturday evening. Bill Essayli posted on social media, saying, 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!
In an additional social media post, the NRA stated, As with any officer-involved shooting, there will be a robust and comprehensive investigation to determine if the use of force was justified. We urge political voices to lower the temperature to ensure the safety of constituents and law enforcement officers.
Essayli's remarks drew significant backlash from other gun advocacy groups and politicians from both parties. Gun Owners of America reiterated the Second Amendment's protection of the right to bear arms while protesting, stating that this right must not be infringed upon by the federal government.
Republican Thomas Massie remarked, Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence; it's a constitutionally protected God-given right. Anyone who doesn't understand this shouldn't be in law enforcement or government.
Essayli later claimed that critics misinterpreted his comments, clarifying, I never said it's legally justified to shoot law-abiding concealed carriers.
This marks the second fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis this month, tied to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency's crackdown on illegal immigration. Bystander footage has captured the moments leading up to Pretti's shooting, further complicating the narrative surrounding the incident.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was questioned on the matter, asserting that Pretti had brandished a gun and that agents fired 'defensive shots' in their efforts to disarm him. She commented, I don't know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the Trump administration's account, labeling it 'nonsense' and 'lies', while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey likened the federal operation to an invasion, accusing ICE of trying to frame the incident as an act of self-defense.
