After U.S. Border Patrol agents fatally shot Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti on Saturday, federal officials described him as a "domestic terrorist" and "would-be assassin" who "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement." But the only evidence to support those characterizations was the fact that Pretti was carrying a concealed handgun, which he was legally allowed to do.
Although videos of the incident show Pretti never drew that weapon, let alone threatened the agents with it, several officials portrayed his exercise of the constitutional right to bear arms as inherently suspicious. That position provoked criticism from leading gun rights groups—the latest example of disagreements between Second Amendment advocates and an administration that claims to support their cause.
