On January 24, 2026, federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti — a 37-year-old ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center — during an immigration enforcement operation. Pretti was legally carrying a concealed handgun with a valid Minnesota permit. What happened next from Washington should concern every gun owner in America.
What Happened in Minneapolis
Alex Pretti, who had worked at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center for over a decade — first as a research assistant, then as an ICU nurse, was present at the intersection of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in the Whittier neighborhood when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents were conducting an immigration enforcement operation targeting a different individual.
According to multiple video recordings reviewed by ABC News, NPR, and other outlets, Pretti was filming the encounter with his cellphone when he stepped between an agent and a woman who had been pushed to the ground. He was pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground by approximately six federal agents. Video does not appear to show Pretti drawing his weapon — he was holding a cellphone, not a gun. One video appears to show an officer removing his gun just before another officer fired.
Pretti was carrying a Sig Sauer P320 handgun with two loaded magazines. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed at a press conference that Pretti had a valid Minnesota permit to carry and was legally armed.
This was the second fatal shooting by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in just three weeks, following the January 7 killing of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
The Alarming Response from 'Pro-Gun' Officials
What followed from the Trump administration — an administration that has loudly claimed to be the most pro-Second Amendment in history — stunned gun owners nationwide.
FBI Director Kash Patel
Speaking on Fox News, newly-confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel declared:
"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 that right to break the law and incite violence."
The problem? This statement is factually wrong. Minnesota has no law prohibiting concealed carry permit holders from carrying firearms at demonstrations. Multiple fact-checkers — including FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and PBS News — confirmed that Patel's claim was incorrect. While 16 states do restrict firearms at protests, Minnesota is not one of them.
After intense backlash from gun rights organizations, Patel issued a backtrack on January 27 during an interview with Benny Johnson: "We're also always going to uphold your right to bear arms in the Second Amendment. That's never changed."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
Appearing on ABC News' "This Week," Secretary Bessent stated:
"I am sorry this gentleman is dead, but he did bring a 9mm semi-automatic weapon with two cartridges to what was supposed to be a peaceful protest... I've been to a protest. Guess what? I didn't bring a gun, I brought a billboard."
When pressed by Senator Chris Van Hollen in a subsequent hearing — who pointed out Bessent was "suggesting that Alex Pretti was culpable in his own killing because he had a gun in his waistband holster, which he was licensed to carry" — Bessent declined to retract. As of February 7, he continued to defend his comments.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem
"I don't know of any peaceful protester that shows up with a gun and ammunition rather than a sign."
Noem went further, labeling the actions around the shooting as "domestic terrorism" and accusing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting violence. DHS even claimed in court filings that it is unlawful for protesters to bring a firearm to demonstrations — directly contradicting Minnesota state law.
President Trump
The President himself told reporters: "You can't have guns. You can't walk in with guns." He also posted a photo of Pretti's legal firearm on Truth Social, writing: "This is the gunman's gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go — What is that all about?"
The Gun Rights Community Fires Back
In what CNN described as a "bizarro world" moment, the nation's leading gun rights organizations found themselves publicly rebuking a Republican administration.
National Rifle Association
"The NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be."
The NRA called a federal prosecutor's justification of the shooting "dangerous and wrong" — a rare public rebuke of a sitting Republican administration.
Gun Owners of America
GOA issued a pointed statement on January 27:
"Peaceful protests while armed isn't radical — it's American. The First and Second Amendments protect those rights, and they always have."
GOA Senior Vice President Erich Pratt stated on CNN: "I have attended protest rallies while armed, and no one got injured."
National Association for Gun Rights
NAGR President Dudley Brown didn't mince words:
"The FBI director needs to brush off that thing called the Constitution, because he clearly hasn't read it."
NAGR also stated: "The mere presence of a firearm is not evidence of criminal intent. Anyone who claims to be pro-gun should never suggest otherwise."
Firearms Policy Coalition
FPC released a statement titled "Rights Are Not Privileges" asserting that the Second Amendment protects the individual right to carry a gun outside the home for self-defense — including at protests.
Second Amendment Foundation
SAF Legal Director William Sack warned the administration: "Trump's vacillating is very likely to cost them dearly with the core of a constituency they count on."
Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus
"This is completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota."
The Legal Facts: Minnesota Concealed Carry Law
Let's be crystal clear on the law:
- Minnesota allows individuals with a valid permit to carry a handgun in public, concealed or openly.
- There is no state law against carrying a firearm at a demonstration, protest, or rally in Minnesota.
- Minnesota is not one of the 16 states that restrict firearms at public gatherings.
- Alex Pretti had a valid permit and was lawfully armed, as confirmed by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
Every major fact-checking organization — Snopes, FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, and PBS News — confirmed these facts.
Why This Matters to Every Gun Owner
This incident exposes a dangerous pattern: when it's politically convenient, even officials who campaign on pro-gun platforms will throw the Second Amendment under the bus.
Consider the implications of what these officials said:
- If carrying a legal firearm makes you a threat, then every concealed carry permit holder in America is a suspect.
- If the "mere presence of a firearm" justifies lethal force by government agents, then your right to carry means nothing.
- If you "can't have guns" at a public gathering, then the Second Amendment has a time-and-place exception that doesn't exist in the Constitution.
As Tennessee GOP Caucus Leader Jeremy Faison posted on X: "Showing up at a protest is very American. Showing up with a weapon is very American."
The Bigger Picture: NFA Reform Stalled
This isn't the only area where the administration's pro-gun promises have fallen short. The Hearing Protection Act — which would have fully removed suppressors from the NFA — and the SHORT Act for short-barreled rifles were both stripped from the One Big Beautiful Bill reconciliation package by the Senate parliamentarian.
While the $200 NFA tax stamp was reduced to $0 (effective January 1, 2026), suppressors and SBRs remain regulated under the NFA with all the paperwork, fingerprinting, and wait times intact. The "Big Beautiful Lawsuit" filed by GOA, Silencer Shop, Palmetto State Armory, SilencerCo, and B&T USA — joined by 15 state attorneys general led by Texas — is challenging the NFA's constitutionality now that the tax is zero, but the case remains pending.
What You Can Do
The firearms community cannot afford to treat any politician as a guaranteed ally. Here's what matters:
- Know your state laws. Understand what's legal where you carry. Don't take a politician's word for it — especially when they're wrong.
- Support organizations fighting for your rights. The NRA, GOA, SAF, FPC, and NAGR all stood up when it mattered. They need your membership and support.
- Hold elected officials accountable — regardless of party. A "pro-gun" politician who says "you can't have guns" when it's convenient is not your ally.
- Stay informed. Follow this story and others like it. The rights you don't defend are the rights you lose.
The Second Amendment doesn't have an asterisk.
It doesn't say "except at protests." It doesn't say "unless the government finds it inconvenient."
"...the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
