Guns barred at US protest sites? Kash Patel’s claim after Alex Pretti’s killing and what Minnesota law actually allows | Explained

The fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, a concealed-carry permit holder, during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has reignited a long-simmering debate over gun ownership, protest regulations, and police authority in the United States.Pretti, who worked as an ICU nurse at a Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital and was legally carrying a firearm under state law, was killed on January 24 amid protests linked to aggressive federal immigration enforcement actions in the city.At the centre of the controversy is a statement by FBI Director Kash Patel, who said people cannot bring firearms, especially with multiple magazines, to protests. Legal experts, however, say the claim oversimplifies, and in Minnesota’s case, misstates the law.

What happened in Minneapolis?

Pretti was shot dead on January 24 during a protest-related incident on Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis. Federal officials alleged that because he was carrying a handgun and ammunition, he posed a threat to law enforcement. The Trump administration went further, suggesting Pretti planned to assassinate officers, a claim not supported by video footage released so far.Multiple videos show that Pretti was not pointing a gun at officers, and in some footage, appears to have already been disarmed shortly before he was shot.

At the time, he was reportedly holding a phone and assisting a woman who had been pushed to the ground by an agent.

Kash Patel’s claim and why it’s contentious

A day after the shooting, Patel said on Fox News: “You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It’s that simple.”He later clarified that law enforcement was not targeting peaceful protesters or lawful gun owners, only those who incite violence or break the law.