Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was never seen holding his phone in such a manner in footage of the fatal incident.

Claims by Trump administration officials that the man fatally shot by a federal agent in Minneapolis lacked a right to possess a firearm and that his killing was justified are being dismissed by legal experts and assailed by gun rights groups ordinarily aligned with the president.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem both said peaceful protesters do not carry firearms with them.

Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was carrying a gun in or near his waistband when he was killed on Saturday, but videos show he had not withdrawn it and was disarmed before being shot multiple times.

Gun owners have different views on Trump's immigration operations in Minneapolis but they agree: Alex Pretti had a right to be armed at the protest.

By Tim Reid and Nathan Layne WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Trump administration officials’ suggestion that Alex Pretti should not have brought a legally carried handgun to a Minneapolis protest has opened a rare rift with gun rights groups,

The exchange on social media followed the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis on Saturday.

The National Rifle Association and others have argued citizens need guns to fend off government. The killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti, who carried a pistol, set off debate.

Some in the administration have criticized Alex Pretti for carrying a gun to a protest activity, but Second Amendment groups have long fought for the right to do so.