FBI director Kash Patel is drawing heat from gun rights advocates after he suggested that carrying firearms at protests is illegal in the wake of the death of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
Patel appeared on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo the day after the shooting, and said that intensive care nurse Pretti, 37, “broke the law” by having a handgun on his person during the altercation with Border Patrol agents.
But gun rights advocates were quick to point out that lawful permit holders, as Pretti was, can legally carry firearms at protests and rallies.
“This is completely incorrect on Minnesota law. There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota,” MN Gun Owners Caucus wrote.
This is completely incorrect on Minnesota law.
There is no prohibition on a permit holder carrying a firearm, loaded, with multiple magazines at a protest or rally in Minnesota. https://t.co/m2EHW2zFEa— MN Gun Owners Caucus (@mnguncaucus) January 25, 2026
The Minnesota gun group also pointed to their press release from Saturday, in which they stated they were “deeply concerned” by the “fatal shooting” of Pretti.
The group’s statement later read: “Every peaceable Minnesotan has the right to keep and bear arms—including while attending protests, acting as observers, or exercising their First Amendment rights. These rights do not disappear when someone is lawfully armed, and they must be respected and protected at all times.”
Pretti’s handgun—which Patel has revealed is being kept as evidence by the FBI—has become a key talking point among MAGA mouthpieces as a justification for his murder.
Despite Governor Walz and Minnesota Police Chief Brian O’Hara claiming that Pretti had a permit to conceal carry, key figures in the Trump administration have argued that a gun shouldn’t have been brought to an area of Border Patrol activity, and that its two full magazines left the agents with no choice but to act.
While no evidence has emerged to show that Pretti ever attempted to use his concealed weapon, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem smeared the nurse with accusations of violent intent soon after his death.
“This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism. That’s the facts,” she said at a news conference on Saturday.
Noem added: “This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”
Meanwhile, Kash Patel echoed support for Noem’s remarks earlier in the interview. “As Secretary Noem said, no one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines. That is not a peaceful protest, and you do not get to touch law enforcement,” he said.
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