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Minneapolis shooting: DHS challenges Second Amendment rights at protests
Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a Border Patrol agent Saturday morning during a federal immigration enforcement operation in south Minneapolis. He possessed a firearm and had a legal permit to carry. Federal authorities challenge that Second Amendment rights don't apply to protesters. FOX 9's Paul Blume has more.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has confirmed two federal officers fired shots in the deadly shooting of Alex Pretti last weekend in a memo to Congress obtained by the Associated Press.
DHS confirms 2 agents fired shots
What we know:
In a notification to Congress, DHS says two officers, a Border Patrol officer and a Customs and Border Protection officer, each fired Glock pistols during Pretti's shooting.
The notice, which is required by law, states federal officials were reviewing body camera video of the shooting. At least four Border Patrol officers were wearing body cameras during the shooting, along with witness video of the shooting.
FOX 9 has learned that the Department of Homeland Security is leading the investigation as state authorities fight to maintain their own investigation into the shooting.
On Wednesday, Fox News learned that Border Patrol agents involved in Pretti's shooting had been placed on administrative leave. Previously, Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino had only confirmed that the officers had been moved from their assignment in Minnesota.
Errant shot under investigation
The backstory:
Videos of the shooting obtained over the weekend appeared to show shots being fired from multiple weapons.
On Sunday, Bovino refused to confirm whether two agents had fired shots during the incident despite confirming background information on one of the agents who shot Pretti.
At the same time, the DHS was also reportedly probing whether a federal agent accidentally discharged Pretti's weapon, potentially setting the fatal events in motion.
According to the New York Post report, an agent may have misfired the gun after disarming Pretti and this unintentional shot allegedly led other officers to believe they were being fired upon, prompting them to open fire in response.
Dig deeper:
Authorities say Pretti was carrying a Sig Sauer P320 on him when he encountered Border Patrol officers on Saturday morning in the area of 26th Street West and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.
The DHS has since has tried to say Pretti came to the scene looking to inflict harm on federal authorities. However, video shows him using his phone to observe the federal operation.
When asked on Tuesday whether he thought Pretti meant the federal officers harm, President Trump said he didn't think that was the case. At the same time, the president said, "you can't have guns."
Other Trump administration officials have intoned that by carrying a gun, Pretti put himself in a dangerous situation.
FBI Director Kash Patel went as far as to imply that Pretti broke the law by bringing a loaded firearm to a protest. That statement has been met with rebuke from gun rights organizations and libertarian organizations like the Cato Institute. While some states do have restrictions when it comes to guns at protests, neither Minnesota nor federal law restrict carrying a gun at a protest.