The National Rifle Association (NRA) has joined other gun lobbying and advocacy groups that are typically aligned with Donald Trump in calling for the Republican president’s administration to conduct a “full investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old nurse who was shot dead by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Pretti was reportedly legally permitted to carry a gun and is a citizen of the US, where it is a constitutional right to bear arms. Widely circulated video of his shooting death does not depict him ever holding a gun. It does show an officer reaching to Petti’s lower back and stepping away with what appeared to be a pistol – and Petti being subsequently shot to death.
The NRA waded into the national dialogue over Pretti’s killing after Bill Essayli – who was appointed by Trump to temporarily serve as a US attorney in California in 2025 – posted on social media: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you.”
In response, the NRA posted: “This sentiment … is dangerous and wrong. Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalizations and demonizing law-abiding citizens.”
Gun Owners of America, a non-profit lobbying organization, also criticized that claim from Essayli – who is now an acting first assistant US attorney for California’s central federal district court.
“Federal agents are not ‘highly likely’ to be ‘legally justified’ in ‘shooting’ concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm,” the group posted. It added that the US constitution’s second amendment “protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting – a right the federal government must not infringe upon.”
California governor Gavin Newsom’s press office responded to the NRA’s criticism of Essayli, saying on social media, “Wow. Even the NRA thinks Trump’s [justice department] stooge in California has gone too far for claiming federal agents were ‘legally justified’ to kill Alex Pretti.”
Newsom’s press office added: “Your position is truly horrible when even the NRA calls you out.”
Essayli in turn claimed: “You’re adding words to mischaracterize my statement.” He argued that he meant “agitators approaching law enforcement with a gun and refusing to disarm” risked being justifiably shot by officers.
Nonetheless, Essayli’s post received a community note on X which said the US constitution prohibits “officers from shooting citizens merely for possessing a weapon that is not an ‘imminent threat’”. Beside the second amendment, the community note alluded to the constitution’s fourth amendment rights against unreasonable search and seizure and its 14th amendment rights to equal protection under the law.
Yet Essayli also posted: “My advice stands. If you value your life, do not aggressively approach law enforcement while armed. If they reasonably perceive a threat and you fail to immediately disarm, they are legally permitted to use deadly force.”
Former NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch, who has generally been supportive of Trump, also pushed back on Essayli, stating on social media: “Your words verbatim were ‘if you approach law enforcement with a gun.’ What does this mean to you? Do you believe that mere legal possession within the vicinity of [law enforcement officer] is a criminal offense or merits use of force as response? Language matters.”
Thomas Massie, a Republican US representative of Kentucky, separately wrote to Essayli: “Carrying a firearm is not a death sentence, it’s a Constitutionally protected God-given right, and if you don’t understand this you have no business in law enforcement or government.”
Witnesses stated in sworn testimonies that Pretti was not brandishing a gun when federal immigration officers descended on him. Those statements are both consistent with publicly available video evidence and contradict the Trump administration’s claims that the shots officers aimed at Pretti were defensive in nature.
Among those to call for a criminal investigation into Pretti’s killing was Newsom’s office, saying one was necessary for the public to “fully understand what occurred and maintain confidence in the rule of law”.
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus issued a similar call.
“Despite widespread speculation regarding intent, there has been no evidence produced indicating an intent to harm the officers,” the group stated in a press release. “We are calling for a full and transparent investigation by both state and federal authorities.
“Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms – including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their first amendment rights” to peaceably assemble.
The caucus’ statement continued: “These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times.”
The caucus then took verbal aim at FBI director Kash Patel after he appeared on Sunday on Fox News and asserted with respect to Pretti: “You cannot bring a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple. You don’t have a right to break the law.”
To Patel, the caucus replied on social media: “There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota.”
When a user told the caucus that Pretti was accused of not having an ID on him, which he was required to do under Minnesota’s law governing permits to carry a concealed gun, the caucus responded: “It’s a $25 ticket.”
Among those who donated to Essayli – who held a seat in California’s state assembly from 2023 to April – was the NRA.
Notably, while successfully campaigning for a second presidency in 2024, Trump publicly said to an audience that “your guns will be confiscated” if he lost to election rival Kamala Harris.
“They’re gonna confiscate your guns,” Trump said. “I’m the one that’s protecting” them. He also bragged about having “the total endorsement of every gun group, including the NRA”.
Harris later said at a debate with Trump: “We’re not taking anybody’s guns away.” The NRA responded with a statement declaring Trump was correct in saying Harris supported gun confiscation.
