Minneapolis — The FBI is now leading the investigation after a man attacked the stage where Rep. Ilhan Omar was making remarks during a town hall in Minneapolis on Tuesday, police said.
The man appeared to spray a liquid on her and then a security guard threw him to the ground after a short struggle.
Minneapolis police said the man, identified as 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, was arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault.
The department said its officers were at City Hall for the event and observed a man using a syringe to spray an unknown liquid on the congresswoman.
Initial reports indicate the liquid was non-toxic, Hennepin County Prosecutor Mary Moriarty said during a news conference on Wednesday.
Moriarty said her office is reviewing charging options, and that she has heard the federal government “may charge the man as well.”
The Minneapolis Police Department said Wednesday that the FBI is now leading the investigation and has no further public information.
The incident sparked cries for help from those present. The congresswoman does not appear to be infected.
Omar said, using profanity: “I will finish my speech. It is important for me to continue.”
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a “major investigation” is underway into the killing of Alex Peretti at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis.
“We will continue,” she said. “Those f———— won’t get away with it!”
This unrest comes amid tensions in Minneapolis between local officials and the Trump administration over an immigration crackdown in the city that witnessed the killing of American citizens in a shooting incident involving federal agents.
Shortly before the man took the stage, Omar called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Afterwards, she told reporters that she would not be intimidated.
“You know, I’ve survived more, and I will definitely survive intimidation and anything these people think they can throw at me because I’m built that way,” she said.
Omar has been the target of attacks by President Donald Trump for years. More recently, his attacks have come alongside rising rhetoric describing Minnesota’s Somali community, the largest in the country.
In the past few weeks, Trump has called Omar a “fake vile” and called for her expulsion from the United States.
In a phone interview Tuesday evening with Rachel Scott, ABC News’ chief political correspondent, Trump said he had not seen video of the incident and, without providing evidence, accused Omar of orchestrating the attack.
“I don’t think about her. I think she’s a fraud,” Trump said. “She probably sprayed herself, and she knows it.”
In a post to
“Tonight, a man is in custody after he decided to assault a member of Congress – an unacceptable decision that will be met with swift justice,” the US Capitol Police said in a statement. The department said it is “working with our federal partners to see this man face the most serious charges possible to deter this type of violence in our community.”
Capitol Police said threats against members of Congress increased for the third year in a row. The department said it investigated 14,938 statements, conducts and communications directed against members of Congress, their families and staff last year – compared to 9,474 in 2024.
Copyright © 2026 ABC News Internet Ventures.