A woman from Minnesota has gone viral for a video that shows her behaving aggressively towards a child with autism. Following this incident, she claimed her personal details were leaked and subsequently raised over $500,000 through an online fundraiser.
Shiro Hendrix was seen on camera hurling a derogatory term at a five-year-old boy. The confrontation happened at a playground in Rochester, which is about 90 minutes from Minneapolis. The video captured her reaction, particularly when she was confronted by another individual who recorded the event.
In the footage, when asked whether she used a slur against the child, she admitted it. “Yes,” she said, as the clip reveals.
“He took my son’s,” she claimed during the altercation.
The man recording, identified as Shahmake Omar, engaged Hendrix about her behavior, questioning whether going through her bag warranted the use of such language. In response, she exclaimed that “that’s how he behaves,” repeating the slur multiple times.
Public outcry ensued, with many condemning Hendrix’s hateful language, especially aimed at a child.
The child, as noted by Omar, is on the autism spectrum. He was with his parents, who are Somali, while supervising three other children at the playground during the incident.
Omar mentioned to an outlet that the boy was visibly disturbed by what happened, highlighting, despite sharing a Somali background, he wasn’t related to the child.
In the midst of their confrontation, Hendrix allegedly remarked that Omar and his wife shouldn’t have more children. She claimed they were “drains of the welfare system.” Then, shifting into a victim narrative, Hendrix stated that the video put her family at risk.
In a post on a fundraising website, she wrote about the incident, mentioning that she was unfairly attacked because she confronted a child over something related to her son’s belongings.
She added that being followed to her car and recorded by another individual had compounded the situation, leading to severe distress for her family. “My SSN is leaking. My address and phone number were exposed,” she said, asserting that threats had emerged online, pushing her to consider relocating for safety.
As of Saturday morning, her fundraiser had exceeded $525,000.
Hendrix has also claimed that Omar has a history with law enforcement, yet public records reveal Hendrix has her own set of legal troubles, including DUI and disorderly conduct charges.
The Rochester police announced they are looking into the matter after receiving numerous calls regarding the video.
Minnesota law recognizes various forms of assault, including threats aimed at instilling fear, which is classified as a misdemeanor.
According to Omar, the parents of the boy have shown support for any legal action against Hendrix.
Attempts to contact both Omar and Hendrix for comments were unsuccessful.
In a show of solidarity, the Minnesota Democratic delegation praised Omar for standing up against Hendrix’s behavior even in the face of hate, stating, “We condemn these acts of racism in the strongest terms. This kind of rhetoric has no place in our communities. We appreciate the bystanders who intervened, preventing further escalation.” The group remarked in a statement.
