US President Donald Trump says Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot by a federal agent during a confrontation in Minneapolis, should not have been carrying a gun or fully loaded magazines, comments that put him at odds with gun rights groups and some Republicans.
Asked on Tuesday whether he agreed with administration officials who described Pretti as a domestic terrorist, Trump said: "I haven't heard that, but certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun."
Trump, speaking to reporters at an Iowa restaurant, later added: "He had a gun. I don't like that. He had two fully loaded magazines. That's a lot of bad stuff. And despite that, I'd say that's ... very unfortunate."
Pretti, a licensed concealed-weapons holder, was killed on Saturday by federal agents during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis. The shooting drew broad criticism and prompted a White House-ordered leadership shake-up.
Gun rights groups, including the influential National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, said Pretti was legally carrying a concealed gun.
Bystander video of Pretti's killing was widely shared, showing he never touched his gun before being shot and contradicting some Trump officials' initial claims that he posed a threat to law enforcement.
Gun rights groups are one of the Republican Party's most loyal voting blocs. Such statements by Trump and other administration officials have opened a rift ahead of midterm elections in November.
