Members of the audience tackled the attacker as Omar said she was unharmed.
A man armed with a syringe sprayed a mysterious liquid at Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) during a town hall she held in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Audience members tackled and restrained him as cheers broke out in the room. He has been arrested.
The incident took place after Omar called for dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“ICE cannot be reformed,” she said during her speech.
Video footage posted on X captured the chaos, with a voice in the crowd heard saying, “Oh my god, he sprayed something on her.” Journalists at the scene reported a pungent, vinegar-like odor from the substance, described as light brown in color.
NEW — Rep. Ilhan Omar was just charged by a man at a town hall event in Minneapolis. Crowd says he "sprayed her" with something.
— Jay O'Brien (@jayobtv) January 28, 2026
You can hear Omar demand to continue the town hall — and she's back to speaking now from the podium. pic.twitter.com/4OpSWHo0Z9
