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The fatal Border Patrol shooting of a man who the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says was armed with a 9mm pistol during a confrontation with agents on Saturday has sparked a clash among gun rights groups, pitting defenses of lawful carry and protest rights against warnings about escalating anti-law-enforcement rhetoric.
Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis resident, was shot Saturday morning while allegedly protesting an immigration enforcement operation targeting an illegal immigrant with a criminal record.
DHS officials say Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a handgun and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him, leading to the shooting.
State officials said Pretti, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had a lawful Permit to Carry (PTC), and court records obtained by Fox News Digital indicate he did not have a criminal record.
So-called “armed community response” members patrol near the scene of a fatal shooting involving Border Patrol, Saturday, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
ANTI-ICE AGITATOR ALLEGEDLY BITES OFF FEDERAL OFFICER’S FINGER DURING MINNEAPOLIS ATTACK
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus quickly responded to the shooting, calling it “deeply concerning.”
“According to local officials, the man was legally armed, a firearm was recovered at the scene, and he is believed to have been a lawful gun owner and permit to carry holder,” the organization wrote in a statement.
They added many critical facts remain unknown, as the shooting happened just hours earlier.
This undated photo provided by Michael Pretti shows Alex J. Pretti, the man who was shot by a federal officer, Saturday, in Minneapolis. (Michael Pretti via AP)
MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEFS ALLEGE SOME ICE AGENTS RACIALLY PROFILED US CITIZENS, INCLUDING OFF-DUTY OFFICERS
“We do not yet have an independent account of what initiated the encounter or what triggered the use of deadly force,” the Minnesota Gun…
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