Trump breaks silence on ICE-Killing

Donald Trump said that Alex Pretti should not have been carrying a weapon. The president also characterized the confrontation with federal agents that ultimately resulted in Pretti’s death as a “very unfortunate incident.”

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In a later interview with Fox News, Trump reiterated his objection to Pretti having a loaded firearm with two magazines, adding, “It’s pretty unusual, but nobody knows when or how the gun was seen.” He reiterated remarks he made earlier in the week, saying, “You can’t walk in with guns.”

Alex Pretti was shot on Saturday during an encounter with ICE agents in Minneapolis. Videos of the incident show him becoming involved in a confrontation in which federal agents sprayed chemical irritants and pinned him to the ground before he was shot. Pretti, 37, worked as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, according to the union representing professional staff there.

Pretti’s parents released a statement to Minnesota legislators the evening after his death: “Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends, as well as for the American veterans he served,” Michael and Susan Pretti wrote. They criticized the administration’s description of their son, saying, “The lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when he is attacked by ICE agents.”