The National Rifle Association (NRA) has joined other US gun lobby groups in calling for a full investigation by the Trump administration into the killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
Comments from the NRA come after a border agent fatally shot Pretti - a registered nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital - in Minneapolis on Saturday.
State and federal officials have given starkly different accounts. The Trump administration has said Pretti carried a gun and posed a danger to officers - while no available video shows Pretti holding a gun.
The NRA labelled a suggestion by a federal prosecutor that people who carry guns risk being lawfully shot by officers as dangerous and wrong. Responsible public voices should be awaiting a full investigation, not making generalisations and demonising law-abiding citizens, the NRA stated.
Bill Essayli, the First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, suggested that approaching law enforcement with a gun increases the likelihood of being shot legally. His comments faced backlash from various gun advocacy groups and politicians.
In a follow-up social media post, Essayli claimed his remarks were misinterpreted, stating, I never said it's legally justified to shoot law-abiding concealed carriers.
This incident follows another fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis, again linked to actions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.
Bystander video footage captured the moments leading up to Pretti's shooting, revealing differing narratives from local and federal officials, adding to the complexity of the situation.
The Department for Homeland Security stated that Pretti posed a threat to officers, but Minnesota's Governor and Mayor criticized the administration's version of events, calling it deceptive.
