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.

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.

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus is calling for a thorough and independent investigation into the shooting, saying its concerns center on what it believes is a prominent disconnect between what the Trump Administration and federal officials are saying,