You must be aware by now of the name Alex Pretti and its relationship to the news cycle over the past few days. Mr. Pretti, an ICU nurse, was disarmed and shot to death by ICE in Minneapolis.
I have some thoughts — and some feelings — about this event.
First and foremost, I’m upset that Mr. Pretti lost his life to a pack of wild dogs with badges and body armor. There is ample device footage that shows exactly what happened and when.
Secondly, I’m beyond pissed that Mr. Pretti, who had an LTC, was killed AFTER being disarmed.
Thirdly, I’m infuriated that Republican politicians are using this tragedy to play political football, and to smear the victim:
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) told Fox News: “A deranged individual who came in to cause massive damage with a loaded pistol, with an extra mag that was completely loaded, was shot and killed. How much more does it have to go on before the Democrat leaders there take responsibility for their words?” 1
The WaPo report explores a strange shift in sides on the issue of Mr. Pretti attending the event — or, being there — with a firearm he was licensed to carry. The NRA, traditionally stuck to the GOP like glue, is defending Pretti’s right to carry; a smart move in my view.
I believe I have some skin in this game. I own firearms and have a License To Carry (LTC). I train with my firearms weekly. Despite having served in the military on active duty for several enlistments, I only bought my first firearm less than a year and a half ago.
Why?
*gestures broadly*
This. This shit is why.
Defending my family and my property against whomever may decide to threaten our safety and security.
The Pretti incident tells me my Second Amendment rights don’t mean a got-damned thing. Whether Pretti was wise to wear his firearm is completely immaterial.
Image copyright 1974 Warner Bros.
If I’m wearing my sidearm in the vicinity of an ICE event — say I’m walking to my car in a parking lot and a van full of ICE thugs screeches up and attacks somebody nearby — there’s a chance that simply having my firearm on my person will escalate the situation and could cost me my life.
Never mind that my LTC is in my wallet and thoroughly documented through the State of Texas. If these jackals were actual law enforcement, they’d know all about it within a few keystrokes.
Now more than ever, we need our local law enforcement officers to protect us from events like these. I’m a pro-LEO guy. But whatever ICE is now is not reflective of how the laws of our land are intended. The same is true for the ruthless engagement of military forces in the Caribbean… but that’s a rant for another day.
- Bendavid, N., & Bellware, K. (2026, January 25). Conservatives, liberals shift gun rights arguments after shooting. The Washington Post. Retrieved January 26, 2026, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/25/alex-pretti-gun-debate-second-amendment/ ↩︎
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