U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an “unknown substance” during a town hall in Minneapolis earlier this week.
Now, details about the attacker’s past are now coming to light — and for many, they were not unexpected.
The 41-year-old congresswoman Ilhan Omar was speaking about immigration enforcement, specifically the recent heavy-handed actions of ICE, when a man from the audience approached the stage and sprayed liquid across her chest using a large syringe.
The man, 55-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak, was immediately tackled by security and taken into custody, booked on suspicion of third-degree assault. Authorities say he will remain in custody as the investigation continues. Police are reviewing his motivations and considering whether additional charges should be filed.
According to reports, Kazmierczak has a criminal history, including a 1989 felony auto-theft conviction, multiple DUI arrests, numerous traffic violations, and financial difficulties including two bankruptcy filings.
He has also posted online in support of President Donald Trump and criticized Democrats, including former President Joe Biden.
In one post, he wrote: “Trump wants the US is stronger and more prosperous. Stop other countries from stealing from us.” In another, he asked, “When will descendants of slaves pay restitution to Union soldiers’ families for freeing them/dying for them, and not sending them back to Africa?”
A hazmat crew was called
Witnesses at the event described a strong, vinegar-like odor after the attack, raising initial concerns that the liquid could be harmful. A hazmat crew was called, but authorities later confirmed it posed no health risk.
Despite the incident, Omar returned to the stage and finished her speech, declining medical treatment.
“Fear and intimidation doesn’t work on me,” she said, adding, “Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket.”
Omar also directly blamed Trump’s rhetoric for the attack: “I wouldn’t be where I am at today, having to pay for security, having the government to think about providing me security, if Donald Trump wasn’t in office and if he wasn’t so obsessed with me.”
Trump, for his part, dismissed the incident, calling it “probably staged.”
The attack highlights growing safety concerns for elected officials. Omar’s experiences are not unique; threats against lawmakers have increased in recent years, peaking after the January 6 Capitol attack. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, said: “It has to stop. I mean, we are just trying to do our jobs…this is the consequence.”
Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, emphasized the stakes: “The point of what these violent actors want is for us to shut up and we just can’t give in to that.”
Kazmierczak’s motivations remain under review as federal authorities, including the FBI, continue the investigation.
