In the wake of Alex Pretti’s tragic death, Bleecker Street Publications has issued a powerful statement titled We hold these Truths to be Self-Evident, framing her story as a stark warning about the perils of eroding constitutional protections. Pretti, a 22-year-old legally carrying a concealed firearm in upstate New York, was fatally shot by police during a chaotic traffic stop in April 2023 after she reached for her registration during a mistaken identity mix-up. What began as a routine encounter escalated when officers, mistaking her for a suspect in a nearby shooting, opened fire—killing her despite her compliance and lack of threat. Bleecker Street’s response doesn’t just mourn; it indicts a system where the lawful exercise of Second Amendment rights becomes a death sentence, quoting the Declaration of Independence to underscore that self-evident truths like life, liberty, and the right to self-defense shouldn’t be sacrificed on the altar of police overreach or poor training.

This isn’t an isolated tragedy—it’s a symptom of broader anti-2A currents where gun owner equals suspect in the eyes of authorities. New York’s stringent concealed carry laws, tightened post-Bruen, demand hyper-vigilance from permit holders, yet Pretti followed every protocol: she informed officers of her firearm, kept her hands visible until asked for documents, and posed zero aggression. The implications for the 2A community are chilling—qualified immunity shields the officers involved, leaving families like Pretti’s without recourse while emboldening a narrative that paints armed citizens as inherent risks. Data from the FBI’s own active shooter reports shows that legally armed civilians stop threats far more often than they create them, yet stories like this fuel permit revocations and red flag expansions. Bleecker Street nails it: when rights are conditional, they’re not rights at all.

The 2A community must rally around Pretti’s memory, pushing for bodycam transparency reforms, de-escalation training that accounts for legal carriers, and lawsuits dismantling qualified immunity. Her death isn’t just a loss; it’s a call to arms (figuratively) for vigilance against the incremental disarmament disguised as public safety. Share Bleecker Street’s full statement, support Pretti’s family through their legal fund, and remember: in a nation founded on self-evident truths, no lawful holster should end in a coffin. Stay armed, stay informed, and stay free.