In brief
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is urging the Trump administration to conduct a full investigation into the police shooting of Alex Pretti, a registered nurse shot by a border agent in Minneapolis. This demand comes against the backdrop of conflicting reports about Pretti’s actions during the incident, with the NRA rejecting claims that people with guns should expect to be shot by law enforcement. Critical comments from a federal prosecutor and responses from various political figures have further fueled the controversy surrounding gun rights and police conduct in the case.
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 carried a gun and posed a danger to officers, while no available video shows Pretti holding a gun.
The NRA labeled a suggestion by a federal prosecutor that those who carry guns risk being lawfully shot by officers as 'dangerous and wrong.'
'Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalisations and demonising law-abiding citizens,' the NRA stated.
The NRA, typically aligned with Donald Trump, reacted to comments made by First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, who stated that approaching law enforcement with a gun increases the likelihood of being shot lawfully.
In a separate social media post, the NRA reiterated, 'As there is with any officer-involved shooting, there will be a robust and comprehensive investigation that takes place to determine if the use of force was justified.'
Critics, including Gun Owners of America and Republican politicians, countered Essayli's remarks, stating that carrying a firearm is a constitutionally protected right that should not make individuals targets for lethal force.
This incident marks the second fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis linked to ICE's crackdown on illegal immigration this month, with bystander videos capturing moments before Pretti was shot.
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed that Pretti allegedly posed a threat, while local officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have denounced the federal narrative as misleading.
