Gun rights groups, who often side with the Trump administration on most matters, are rebelling at the notion that carrying a firearm is threatening, illegal or an invitation to police violence.
After U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents fatally shot Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti on Saturday, federal officials described him as a “domestic terrorist” and “would-be assassin” who “wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” But the only evidence to support those characterizations was the fact that Pretti was carrying a concealed handgun, which he was legally allowed to do.
Although videos of the incident show Pretti never drew that weapon, let alone threaten the agents with it, several officials portrayed his exercise of the constitutional right to bear arms as inherently suspicious. That position provoked criticism from leading gun rights groups — the latest example of disagreements between Second Amendment advocates and an administration that claims to support their cause.
Pretti “approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun,” the Department of Homeland Security said Saturday, neglecting to mention that the agents did not see the holstered gun until after they tackled Pretti.
“The officers attempted to disarm [him] but the armed suspect violently resisted,” DHS added, omitting the fact that an agent had removed the gun by the time the shooting started.
FBI Director Kash Patel erroneously claimed Pretti’s possession of a handgun was illegal.
