In the past three weeks, federal officers have fatally shot two U.S. citizens in Minnesota. The latest incident happened over the weekend when Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive-care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent.
The Trump administration rushed to describe Pretti as a "domestic terrorist," stressing that he had a gun. But bystander cell-phone videos, which have been analyzed by major news organizations frame-by-frame, appear to tell a different story.
Pretti in the footage is seen holding his cellphone, not a gun. The video appears to show an officer taking Pretti's gun and walking away before Pretty was shot. Ten shots were fired, according to audio analysis.
The New York Times's video analysis
The Wall Street Journal's video analysis
The Washington Post's video analysis
The Minneapolis police chief said that Pretti is believed to have been a legal gun owner with a permit to carry. He also said he hasn't seen any evidence that Pretti brandished his gun.
The competing comments from Trump administration officials versus local officials have ignited a national uproar.
Republicans have started raising concerns about the fatal shooting. A growing number of Republican lawmakers is calling for impartial investigation into the shooting.
Leading gun rights groups in the U.S. are even questioning the Trump administration's stance, noting that people have a right to carry a weapon with a permit.
A top prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles argued that "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!"
The National Rifle Association called those comments "dangerous and wrong." And Gun Owners of America also condemned the comments.
President Trump says he is sending White House border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota later today in the wake of the shooting. And he says he spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) this morning. He described the call as "very good."
What else has the president said about the shooting?: He briefly spoke with The Wall Street Journal and declined to say whether the federal officer acted appropriately, saying his administration is reviewing the incident.
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