President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration is reviewing the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota and will issue a determination once the facts are fully examined, according to The Wall Street Journal. In a telephone interview, Trump declined to say outright whether the federal officer who fired the fatal shots acted appropriately, choosing instead to let the review process run its course. Imagine that — actually waiting for all the facts.
When asked twice whether the officer acted correctly, Trump did not give a direct yes or no. Instead, he said, “We’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.” Administration officials, however, have publicly defended the officer involved.
Trump did criticize Pretti for bringing a gun to the protest.
“I don’t like any shooting,” Trump said. “But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn’t play good either.” Apparently, showing up armed to a volatile situation is not what the president would call a great safety plan.
Trump also suggested that immigration enforcement agents may eventually leave the Minneapolis area.
“At some point we will leave. We’ve done, they’ve done a phenomenal job,” he said. He did not provide a timeline, and when asked if agents would leave soon, he praised what had already been accomplished and added, “We’ll leave a different group of people there for the financial fraud.”
The president described Pretti’s weapon as a “very dangerous gun, a dangerous and unpredictable gun,” saying, “It’s a gun that goes off when people don’t know it.”
The Department of Homeland Security said Pretti was carrying a 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was filming Border Patrol agents on a Minneapolis street Saturday morning when he was shot and killed at the scene.
Shortly after the shooting, DHS said Pretti had “violently resisted” attempts to disarm him, prompting officers to fire “defensive shots.” However, bystander footage reviewed by The Wall Street Journal appears to show a federal officer pulling a handgun away from Pretti, followed almost immediately by several shots fired.
While the incident continues to be examined, Trump’s message was clear: the situation will be reviewed carefully, and enforcement operations in Minnesota have already achieved results. With a full investigation underway and a commitment to law and order, the administration is focused on accountability and moving forward with strength and clarity.
