President Donald J. Trump declined to say whether the federal officer who fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis this weekend acted appropriately, saying the administration is reviewing the incident, in an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal.
In a short telephone interview, Trump did not directly answer when asked twice whether the officer’s actions were justified. Pressed further, he said, “We’re looking, we’re reviewing everything and will come out with a determination.” The president also indicated immigration enforcement officers in the area would eventually leave, without providing a timeline. 
Trump criticized Pretti — a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who was killed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent during a federal operation — for carrying a firearm, saying, “I don’t like any shooting. I don’t like it. But I don’t like it when somebody goes into a protest and he’s got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines.” 
Federal officials have described the gun as a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun recovered at the scene, but video footage and multiple witness accounts reviewed by news outlets show Pretti holding a phone, not a weapon, in the moments before he was shot. The incident has sparked protests and widespread debate over federal use of force during the immigration enforcement operation.
