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1h ago

Trump Says Protesters 'Can't Have Guns,' Deepening Rift With Gun-Rights Groups After Minneapolis Shooting

Video evidence with local statements contradicts early federal claims about Alex Pretti’s conduct.

A poster hangs near the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 25, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans
A woman clears snow from a picture of Alex Pretti at a makeshift memorial at the site where a man identified as Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. REUTERS/Tim Evans
People gather at a makeshift memorial at the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 25, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans
A cross and a stethoscope hang at a makeshift memorial as people gather at the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 25, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans

Overview

  • President Trump told reporters people cannot "walk in with guns" at protests and later said Alex Pretti should not have been carrying, sharpening tensions with pro-gun organizations.
  • The NRA condemned a Trump-appointed prosecutor’s post as "dangerous and wrong," while Gun Owners of America and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus rejected FBI Director Kash Patel’s claim that lawful carry at protests is illegal in Minnesota.
  • Verified footage reviewed by news outlets shows Pretti filming with a phone, then being pepper-sprayed, pinned, and disarmed before agents fired the fatal shots.
  • Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti held a valid permit to carry and that he has seen no evidence Pretti brandished a weapon before he was shot.
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said carrying during confrontations with law enforcement raises the risk of force, as Republican strategists and gun-rights groups warn of potential election-year fallout.