Top figures within the MAGA movement have found themselves under fire from both conservative allies and the National Rifle Association (NRA) after they quickly labeled the Department of Homeland Security’s shooting of a protester in Minneapolis as justified.
Following the tragic death of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti on Saturday, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino swiftly commented on the incident. He stated, “The suspect also had two loaded magazines and no accessible ID,” implying that Pretti’s intentions were potentially harmful.
Bovino further suggested, “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.” His remarks, however, sparked controversy amongst conservatives, particularly those advocating for Second Amendment rights.
Former NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, a prominent voice in the gun rights debate, took issue with the quick condemnation of Pretti for possessing a legally-owned firearm. She expressed her concerns, stating, “Statements like this don’t help.” Loesch questioned the narrative by asking, “What he has or didn’t have isn’t the issue. What he was doing, with or without it, is the issue.”
Loesch further inquired if Pretti had made any aggressive moves, such as drawing his weapon or reaching for it, and emphasized that merely being armed is not equivalent to committing a crime. Her comments highlight the complexity of the situation and the need for clarity in distinguishing between lawful gun ownership and unlawful actions against law enforcement officers.
‘What he has or didn’t have isn’t the issue. What he was doing, with or without it, is the issue. Did he draw on agents? Reach for it? Was it on him? Again, being armed is different from being armed in commission of obstructing federal LEO.’
Loesch also had stern words for a Trump-appointed prosecutor in California, who flippantly implied that Pretti had gotten what was coming to him.
Bill Essayli, who is First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, wrote on X: ‘If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!’
Dana Loesch, the former national spokesperson for National Rifle Association, feuded on social media with fellow conservatives who quickly declared that the shooting of a protestor in Minneapolis by a Border Patrol agent was justified
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minnesota resident and US citizen, was shot just after 9am near Glam Doll Donuts on the corner of 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue
Pictured: Federal agents surrounded Pretti after pepper spraying him and tackling him to the ground. Shortly after he was taken down to the sidewalk, an agent fired 10 shots
Pictured: Loesch said Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino’s statement on the shooting didn’t help
Pictured: She also took issue with this statement from Bovino, when he said Pretti wanted to cause ‘maximum damage and ‘massacre’ agents
Loesch responded: ‘What does this mean to you? Do you believe that mere legal possession within the vicinity of LEO is a criminal offense or merits use of force as response? Language matters.’
Responsible Gun Owners of America also condemned Essayli, writing: ‘We condemn the untoward comments of @USAttyEssayli.
‘Federal agents are not “highly likely” to be “legally justified” in “shooting” concealed carry licensees who approach while lawfully carrying a firearm.
‘The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting – a right the federal government must not infringe upon.’
Pretti was shot dead by a Department of Homeland Security agent on Saturday while protesting the arrest of an Ecuadorian migrant named Jose Huerta‑Chuma.
DHS has noted that Huerta-Chuma has previously been charged with domestic abuse and driving without a license.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti ‘brandished a gun’ at her agents.
She defended Pretti’s shooting as an act of self-defense.
Video that has emerged since cast serious doubt on Noem’s assertion and led to condemnation from MAGA sources who accused her of speaking before she knew the full facts.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti ‘brandished a gun’ at her agents. Video that has emerged since cast serious doubt on Noem’s assertion
Loesch also criticized Bill Essayli, First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California
Essayli wrote: ‘If you approach law enforcement with a gun, there is a high likelihood they will be legally justified in shooting you. Don’t do it!’
Loesch argued back, saying the legal possession of a gun does not equal approaching a law enforcement with a gun
The NRA itself also condemned Essayli’s statement as ‘dangerous and wrong’
Pictured: The Gun Owners of America statement on the shooting of Pretti
Pretti, an intensive care nurse at Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, was seen holding his phone to film agents on Saturday.
He got into a scuffle with DHS agents after going to help an unidentified female protester who they’d shoved. Pretti was seen being pepper-sprayed.
Seconds later, he was shoved to the ground with multiple DHS agents trying to hold him down.
Footage appears to show one of those agents clearly removing Pretti’s handgun from his waistband.
He had a concealed carry license and the weapon was legally registered, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
A few seconds after the gun was removed, one of the DHS agents shot Pretti in the back.
The same agent then shot him nine more times, with Pretti seen falling to the ground and dying.
None of the agents have been named. The agent who shot and killed Pretti is an eight-year veteran of the Department of Homeland Security who is from Minnesota.
Minneapolis lawmakers are suing to try and preserve evidence from the scene ahead of a possible investigation.
