Gun rights advocates say it’s legal to carry firearms during protests. But administration officials are questioning why Alex Pretti was armed.<\/b>
\nThe killing of Alex Pretti after an encounter with federal immigration officers Saturday in Minneapolis spurred notable tension with the GOP\u2019s long-standing support for gun rights. Officials say Pretti was armed, but no bystander videos that have surfaced so far appear to show him holding a weapon. The Minneapolis police chief said Pretti had a permit to carry a gun.
Yet administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have questioned why he was armed. Speaking on ABC\u2019s \u201cThis Week\u201d Bessent said that when he has attended protests, \u201cI didn\u2019t bring a gun. I brought a billboard.\u201d
Such comments were notable for a party where support for the Second Amendment\u2019s protection of gun ownership is foundational. Indeed, many in the GOP, including President Donald Trump, lifted Kyle Rittenhouse into prominence when the then-17-year-old former police youth cadet shot three men, killing two of them, during a 2020 protest in Wisconsin against police brutality. He was acquitted of all charges after testifying that he acted in self defense.
In the wake of Pretti\u2019s killing, gun rights advocates quickly noted that it is legal to carry firearms during protests.
\u201cEvery peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms \u2014 including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights,\u201d the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus said in a statement. \u201cThese rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed.\u201d
In a social media post, the National Rifle Association said \u201cresponsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.\u201d
That was in response to a social media post by Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California based in Los Angeles. The Central District covers the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura.
\u201cIf you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don\u2019t do it!\u201d Essayli wrote on X.
The NRA response also said: \u201cThis sentiment from the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California is dangerous and wrong.\u201d
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is often critical of the White House, said \u201ccarrying a firearm is not a death sentence.\u201d
\u201cIt\u2019s a Constitutionally protected God-given right,\u201d he said, \u201cand if you don\u2019t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.
The second-ranking Justice Department official said he was aware of reports that Pretti was lawfully armed.
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with anybody lawfully carrying firearms,\u201d Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on \u201cMeet the Press\u201d on NBC. \u201cBut just make no mistake about it, this was an incredibly split-second decision that had to be made by ICE officers.\u201d<\/p>\n