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Viral Video Captures Racist Rant Against Special Needs Child at Minnesota Playground
A viral video out of Rochester, Minnesota, is drawing widespread outrage after capturing a woman shouting racial slurs at a 5-year-old African American boy with special needs. The boy was allegedly targeted over a playground dispute, and the woman, seen holding a small child, claimed he had taken something that belonged to her child.
Sharmake Omar, the man who recorded the video, says he felt compelled to act when no one else stepped in. “If it was my child, I would want somebody else to stand up for him,” Omar said. He added that despite being caught on camera, the woman continued her racist tirade.
Omar, who is a father to a child on the autism spectrum, has since received death threats toward himself and his family for exposing the incident. “He’s been threatened, and the rest of the kids also have a death threat against them,” he said.
The woman in the video has identified herself as Shiloh Hendrix and started a fundraiser claiming she and her family need protection after her personal information was leaked online. As of Tuesday afternoon, Hendrix had raised over $713,000 toward her stated $1 million goal. She claims her Social Security number, address, and phone number were made public.
In response, the Rochester branch of the NAACP has launched a separate fundraiser in support of the young boy, raising over $150,000 with a goal of $250,000 as of late last week.
Omar expressed disbelief at the woman’s fundraising success. “I thought she was going to get punished for this, but apparently not. She’s getting rewarded,” he said.
The Rochester Police Department has reviewed the incident and submitted its report for further consideration.
Credit: CNN Newsource
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By: NBC Palm Springs
May 6, 2025
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