The National Rifle Association (NRA) has joined other US gun lobby groups in calling on the Trump administration to launch a “comprehensive investigation” into the killing of Alex Pretty in Minnesota.

The National Rifle Association has commented after a border agent shot and killed Pretty, a registered nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital, in Minneapolis on Saturday.

State and federal officials gave starkly different accounts. The Trump administration said Preeti was carrying a gun and posed a danger to police, but there was no video showing Preeti carrying a gun.

The National Rifle Association has called suggestions by federal prosecutors that people carrying guns are at risk of being legally shot by police as “dangerous and wrong.”

“Responsible public voices should await a full investigation rather than generalizing and demonizing law-abiding citizens,” the NRA said in a statement.

The National Rifle Association — which typically aligns itself with Donald Trump — reacted Saturday night to comments made by the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

Bill Essayli wrote on social media: “If you approach law enforcement with a gun, they will most likely legally shoot you. Don’t do it!”

“As with any officer-involved shooting, we will conduct a robust and comprehensive investigation to determine whether the use of force was justified,” the NRA said in a separate social media post.

“As we await these facts and gain greater clarity, we urge political voices to lower the temperature to ensure the safety of their constituents and law enforcement officers.”

Essaly’s comments drew criticism from other gun advocacy groups and politicians of all stripes.

Gun Owners of America said in a statement: “The Second Amendment protects Americans’ right to bear arms while protesting — a right that the federal government may not infringe on.”

“Carrying a gun is not a death sentence, it is a God-given right protected by the Constitution, and if you don’t understand that, you have no business being in law enforcement or government,” Republican Thomas Massie said.

In subsequent social media posts, Essaly accused critics of taking the quote out of context.

“I never said shooting a law-abiding covert carrier was legally justified,” he said on “The X.” “My comments were directed at an agitator who approaches law enforcement with a gun and refuses to disarm.”

For the second time this month, federal agents were involved in a fatal shooting in Minneapolis that was linked to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown on illegal immigration.

Bystander video footage captured the moments before Preeti was shot and killed on Saturday.

The altercation leading up to Pretty’s shooting has been documented from multiple angles, with federal and state officials giving conflicting accounts.

The Department of Homeland Security shared a photo of a gun it claimed belonged to Preeti and said he posed a threat to police.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was asked on Saturday to clarify whether Pretty had brandished a gun and said agents fired while trying to disarm Pretty, which she called a “defensive shooting.”

“They responded according to their training and took action to protect the life of the officer and the public around him. And, I don’t know of any peaceful protesters who showed up with guns and ammunition instead of signs.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the Trump administration’s version of events “nonsense” and “lies.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey likened the federal action to an invasion and accused ICE of “trying to frame this as an act of self-defense.”