The liquid that an attacker attempted to spray at Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis Tuesday (January 28) night is reportedly suspected to be apple cider vinegar, sources with knowledge of the situation told Alpha News‘ Liz Collin, who also cited a Hazmat team.
“BREAKING: Sources tell me it was apple cider vinegar that Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with at last night’s event and that a hazmat team has confirmed that,” Collin wrote.
Minneapolis Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw also claimed the odor smelled like vinegar or ammonia,” in a statement to the New York Post.
“It started out smelling really like apple cider vinegar-smelly. Then it started to smell like ammonia, like a strong, pure ammonia smell, I was wondering why the smell wasn’t going away,” she said.
“I got sick to my stomach,” Vetaw added. “I went outside and threw up because, like, the smell was so strong.”
Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, was arrested on suspicion of assault but hasn’t yet been formally charged, according to the Hennepin County Jail roster via NBC News. Kazmierczak walked down the middle of a room and attempted to spray a liquid at Omar while appearing to yell “you must resign” before being tackled by a security guard.
A bystander was then heard saying, “Oh my God, he sprayed something on her” and confirmed that they smelled a foul odor. Local leaders who had previous spoken during the town hall urged Omar to leave the room and “get checked” but she refused as she claimed that was “what they want.”
“We will continue,” Omar said. “These f*****g a**holes are not going to get away with this.” The Minneapolis Police Department said officers “observed a man use a syringe to spray an unknown liquid” onto the congresswoman and confirmed that the suspect was then arrested by officers and booked in the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault.
“Representative Omar was uninjured and resumed speaking at the event,” the department said in a statement obtained by NBC News.
Kazmierczak is reported to have a criminal history and shared online posts in support of President Donald Trump, who has publicly targeted Omar and accused her of spraying herself during the incident.
“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said when asked by ABC News‘ Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott if he’d seen video of the incident during a phone interview. “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her.”
A statement shared on Omar’s X account also confirmed that she was “okay” following the incident.
“During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe,” the statement reads. “Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.”
The attack on Omar came immediately after she called for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign of face impeachment during her speech.
Recent Comments