What to Know
A man appeared to spray a substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar during her town hall in Minneapolis’ North Side on Tuesday. In prepared remarks, Omar was calling for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when she was interrupted.
Nate Lassen, who was seated in the second row during the Minneapolis Democrat’s speech, said a man sitting in front of him stood up about 5 feet away from Omar and held up a syringe. He said the man made a forward motion with his arm.
In video captured live by Reuters, a substance can be seen hitting Omar. Then a man appears in the frame as he backs away from Omar. The man is grabbed by a security guard as Omar walks toward him.
It’s unclear what the man said to Omar. Aides rushed to Omar, and crowd members exclaimed that she had been sprayed by something. Multiple people complained of a smell resembling vinegar or ammonia.
Omar insisted on continuing with her remarks and did so for about 20 minutes, fielding questions from the audience as well.
“We’re with you,” one crowd member assured her.
After she finished and left the podium, Omar told reporters, “As I said, I’ve survived war and I’m definitely going to survive intimidation and whatever these people think they can throw at me because I’m built that way.”
Minneapolis police did not immediately respond to a request for information Tuesday evening.
The town hall had heavy security, with multiple squad cars stationed outside and metal detectors at the entrance.
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Elliot Hughes; The Minnesota Star Tribune; (TNS) | ©2026 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
