White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that "three distinct inquiries" were underway into fatal shootings in Minnesota, urging patience as investigators sort out what happened after federal officers shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
"This incident remains under investigation," Leavitt told reporters at a press conference. She said there were "three distinct inquiries examining what happened," but she did not identify the agencies involved.
Leavitt emphasized that President Donald Trump wanted investigators to establish the facts before anyone drew conclusions.
"I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself," Leavitt said when asked whether Trump agreed with statements from senior administration officials who described Pretti as an attacker in the hours after the shooting.
Leavitt's comments came as the White House sought to distance Trump from rhetoric used by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who called Pretti a "would-be assassin" soon after he was killed by federal law enforcement.
Asked directly whether Trump shared those characterizations, Leavitt said she had not heard the president describe Pretti in those terms and reiterated the administration's position that investigators should complete their work before blame is assigned.
Leavitt also declined to say whether Miller would apologize to Pretti's family. She told reporters that no one at the White House wanted Americans "hurt or killed," while again pointing to the ongoing investigations.
Pretti was shot Saturday during an encounter with federal officers that was captured on videos recorded by bystanders.
The footage appears to show an officer shooting Pretti in the back after a confrontation in which Pretti, who was filming officers, tried to assist a woman being pepper-sprayed. He was also sprayed.
Video also appears to show an officer taking Pretti's gun and walking away before shots were fired.
Leavitt did not address the videos in detail in Monday's briefing, instead repeating that the matter "remains under investigation" and that the White House was waiting for investigators to reach conclusions.
The administration's more cautious posture marked a contrast with its swift defense earlier this month of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who fatally shot Renee Good.
The Pretti shooting has drawn criticism from Democrats and from prominent Republicans, some of whom have questioned ICE operations in Minnesota.
Trump said in a weekend interview that his administration was reviewing the case and would issue a determination once investigations concluded, according to Leavitt's description of his view that the process should be allowed to play out.
Leavitt said the president's approach was straightforward: "Let the facts and the investigation lead itself."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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