A viral video from Rochester, Minnesota, has ignited a nationwide debate after it captured a white woman calling a black autistic child a racial slur during a confrontation at a public playground. The short clip, posted to TikTok (since deleted) and later shared widely on Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube, shows the woman angrily accusing the five-year-old child of stealing her own child’s belongings before using the N-word. The incident has since led to widespread backlash, the launch of a controversial crowdfunding campaign, and scrutiny of the man who filmed and posted the footage.
The 48-second video begins with the woman yelling at a child off-camera. She accuses the boy (identified by witnesses as a five-year-old Black autistic child) of taking items that belong to her child. During the confrontation, the woman uses the racial slur directly toward the child.
“Say it again,” the man filming responds, pursuing the woman as she attempts to walk away while holding an infant. She does not appear apologetic or remorseful during the exchange.
The video quickly went viral after being shared on Reddit’s r/PublicFreakout subreddit, where it received over 5,000 upvotes before moderators locked the post due to doxxing attempts and concern over brigading. The moderators later issued a public statement acknowledging the rise in white supremacist activity on the platform and warning against amplifying crowdfunding efforts that appeared to be tied to racist or extremist communities
The woman in the video has since been identified online, though her full identity has not been confirmed by mainstream outlets. Despite widespread condemnation of her actions, a crowdfunding campaign in her name (hosted on platforms like GoFundMe and GiveSendGo) has raised over $90,000 as of May 2. Many of the donations appear to come from individuals claiming to support “free speech,” though others are more explicit in their endorsement of the woman’s actions and language.
The Camera Man’s Dark Past
In a shocking twist, independent journalist Tom Hennessy later revealed that the man who filmed and posted the video is Mohamed Omer, a Rochester resident who was previously charged in a 2022 sexual assault case involving a 16-year-old girl.
Reports confirm that Omer and another man, Sharmake Omar, were charged with third- and fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct after a teenager reported being held against her will and raped at a trailer in Rochester. The girl, who had fled foster care, claimed she was denied food and had her shoes taken to prevent escape. While the charges were serious, they were later dropped before trial. Omer has also faced unrelated assault charges.
Hennessy confirmed Omer’s identity by linking his TikTok account to official transportation records. His findings have led to a second wave of online discourse, with some questioning why Omer was at a playground.
The intersection of two deeply uncomfortable truths: an act of racism caught on camera and the disturbing history of the man who filmed. It’s sparked a polarized reaction across social media. While many users maintain that the woman’s actions are indefensible regardless of who filmed the encounter, others have seized on Omer’s past to justify or minimize the racist incident.
Meanwhile, Reddit moderators and various community leaders have urged caution in how the story is discussed, warning against inadvertently promoting racist crowdfunding campaigns or using a survivor’s trauma as a political wedge.
Local authorities have not announced any investigation into the woman’s actions, though child protection services have reportedly been notified due to her conduct during the video. As for Mohamed Omer, there is growing public concern over whether his presence at the playground violated any terms related to his past legal issues, even though the charges were ultimately dropped.
