Man arrested after spraying substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar at town hall

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A man was arrested after spraying an unknown substance on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday, an Associated Press report said, describing how the attacker was tackled and pinned down by attendees. Omar continued speaking after security removed him and later said she was not hurt.

Minneapolis police said officers saw Anthony Kazmierczak use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid at Omar during the event. Police immediately arrested him and booked him at the county jail for third-degree assault, with forensic scientists responding to the scene, according to the report.

The attack occurred as tensions over federal immigration enforcement have intensified in the region following fatal shootings of two residents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area this month. In the hours before and after Tuesday’s town hall, public officials and political figures linked the violence surrounding immigration operations to the broader atmosphere of threats and confrontations involving elected officials.

The AP report said Omar had recently called for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment. Just seconds before the spraying, Omar said, “ICE cannot be reformed,” and then the man moved in. In video described by the AP, a person in the crowd was heard saying, “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her.”

According to the report, Omar was not immediately stopped from speaking after the incident. She continued talking for about 25 more minutes after the man was ushered out by security and said she would not be intimidated. Walking out afterward, Omar told those present she felt flustered but was not hurt, and a medical team was to screen her, the report said. She later posted on X, saying: “I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win.”

The AP report also described what witnesses observed at the scene: an AP journalist said there was a strong, vinegarlike smell after the man pressed on the syringe, and photos of the device showed what appeared to be a light-brown liquid inside. Minneapolis Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw said some of the substance also came into contact with her and state Sen. Bobby Joe Champion and that it was a deeply unsettling experience. The report said no one in the roughly 100-person crowd had a noticeable physical reaction to the substance.

Officials across party lines condemned the assault. Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he was grateful that Omar was safe and that the state had been shattered by political violence in the last year, adding that political rhetoric by national leaders needs to stop immediately. Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace said she was deeply disturbed by the attack and that no elected official should face physical attacks regardless of disagreement with Omar’s rhetoric. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the attack unacceptable, said he was relieved Omar was OK, and thanked police for their quick response, concluding that this kind of behavior would not be tolerated in the city.

The episode unfolded amid a broader security backdrop for lawmakers. The AP report said the attack came days after a man was arrested in Utah for allegedly punching U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost in the face during the Sundance Film Festival while telling officers he was going to deport him. Threats against members of Congress have increased in recent years, peaking in 2021 after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and then dipping slightly before rising again, according to the report’s summary of U.S. Capitol Police figures.

After the assault, the AP report said U.S. Capitol Police described working with federal partners to ensure the man faced the most serious charges possible to deter similar violence. It also said the agency released updated numbers showing that in 2025 it recorded 14,938 “concerning statements, behaviors, and communications directed against lawmakers, their families, staff and the Capitol Complex.” The report said that compared with 9,474 cases in 2024 and that the increase marked the third year in a row threats had risen, alongside expanded security measures since Jan. 6, 2021.