NRA Defends Right to Carry After Minneapolis Shooting Sparks Outrage
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The National Rifle Association (NRA) has joined other U.S. gun lobby groups in demanding a "full investigation" from the Trump administration into the killing of Alex Pretto in Minnesota.
The NRA's comments came after Pretto, a registered nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday.
State and federal officials have offered conflicting accounts. The Trump administration has said Pretto was armed and posed a threat to officers – although no available video shows Pretto with a gun.
The NRA called a federal prosecutor's suggestion that gun owners could be legally shot by law enforcement "dangerous and wrong."
"Responsible public voices should await a full investigation, not generalize and demonize law-abiding citizens," the NRA said in a statement.
The NRA, which is typically aligned with Donald Trump, was responding to comments made Saturday night by the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
Bill Essick wrote on social media: "If you approach law enforcement officers with a gun, there is a very high probability that they will legally shoot you. Don't do it!" In a separate social media post, the NRA said: “As with any officer-involved shooting, there will be a full and thorough investigation to determine whether the use of force was justified.
“While we await these facts and gain a clearer understanding, we appeal to political voices to de-escalate the situation so that their constituents and law enforcement officers remain safe.”
Ashley’s comments have been criticized by other gun rights groups, as well as politicians across the political spectrum.
Gun Owners of America said in a statement: “The Second Amendment protects the right of Americans to bear arms during protests – a right the federal government should not infringe upon.”
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Republican Thomas Massie said: “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it is a God-given right protected by the Constitution, and if you don’t understand that, you have no business in law enforcement or government.”
In a follow-up social media post, Ashley accused critics of taking his comments out of context.
“I never said it was legally justified to shoot law-abiding concealed carry permit holders,” he said on X. “My comments were about protesters who were approaching law enforcement with weapons and refusing to put them down.” For the second time this month, federal agents in Minneapolis have been involved in a fatal shooting, this one connected to an operation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency targeting illegal immigration.
Video footage recorded by bystanders shows the moments leading up to Pretty’s shooting on Saturday.
Pretty’s shooting was recorded from multiple angles, and federal and state officials have given conflicting accounts.
The Department of Homeland Security shared a picture of a gun it claimed belonged to Pretty and said he posed a threat to officers.
On Saturday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Noem was asked to clarify whether Pretty had brandished a gun, and she said that agents fired shots—which she described as "shots fired in self-defense"—while attempting to disarm Pretty.
"They responded according to their training, and they acted to save the officer's life and the lives of those around him. And, I don't know of any peaceful protester who brings a gun and ammunition instead of a sign."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the Trump administration's version of events "nonsense" and "lies."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey compared the federal operation to an attack and accused ICE of "trying to frame this as an act of self-defense."
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