A viral video from Rochester, Minnesota has sparked intense outrage after it showed Shiloh Hendrix allegedly using a racial slur against a 5-year-old autistic child. The video, recorded by the child’s uncle, Sharmake Omar, shows him confronting Hendrix, who denies the accusation and responds with more racial slurs, escalating the situation. The video quickly spread on social media and national news, leading to widespread condemnation. However, what shocked many even more was the crowdfunding campaign Hendrix set up afterward, raising over $600,000 on GiveSendGo to support her family and protect them from ongoing threats.
In her campaign, Hendrix described the incident as a misunderstanding, claiming she had confronted the child for allegedly stealing from her son’s diaper bag and was subsequently filmed and harassed by Omar. She also mentioned threats against her family, including the exposure of her personal information. As of today, Hendrix has raised more than $670,000 of her $1 million goal, with donations pouring in from people who sympathize with her situation, despite the controversy surrounding the incident. The crowdfunding effort has divided opinions, with some calling for the campaign to be reported, while others have pointed out similar fundraising campaigns for other controversial figures like Karmelo Anthony.
Omar, the man who filmed the incident, has a criminal history, though the case involving his alleged sexual assault of a minor was dismissed. Meanwhile, Hendrix herself has a history of legal troubles, including disorderly conduct and a DWI conviction. The donations raised for Hendrix's legal defense continue to grow, but they have prompted debate over whether people should support someone accused of using racial slurs, especially given the legal and social consequences of such speech. Legal experts have weighed in, explaining that while the language used may be offensive, it may not meet the legal definition of “hate speech,” which requires speech to incite violence or physical confrontation.
Despite the backlash, Hendrix has expressed gratitude for the support, stating in an emotional update that her family is safe for now but will not feel secure until they can fully escape the situation. Meanwhile, legal authorities, including the Rochester Police Department, are still investigating the incident, and experts believe it’s unlikely to result in criminal charges. While Hendrix has raised significant funds, the NAACP is also fundraising for the child involved, with over $300,000 raised so far toward their $500,000 goal. The situation continues to unfold, with many questioning the ethics of supporting such a campaign and wondering where the line is drawn between free speech and accountability.
In her campaign, Hendrix described the incident as a misunderstanding, claiming she had confronted the child for allegedly stealing from her son’s diaper bag and was subsequently filmed and harassed by Omar. She also mentioned threats against her family, including the exposure of her personal information. As of today, Hendrix has raised more than $670,000 of her $1 million goal, with donations pouring in from people who sympathize with her situation, despite the controversy surrounding the incident. The crowdfunding effort has divided opinions, with some calling for the campaign to be reported, while others have pointed out similar fundraising campaigns for other controversial figures like Karmelo Anthony.
Omar, the man who filmed the incident, has a criminal history, though the case involving his alleged sexual assault of a minor was dismissed. Meanwhile, Hendrix herself has a history of legal troubles, including disorderly conduct and a DWI conviction. The donations raised for Hendrix's legal defense continue to grow, but they have prompted debate over whether people should support someone accused of using racial slurs, especially given the legal and social consequences of such speech. Legal experts have weighed in, explaining that while the language used may be offensive, it may not meet the legal definition of “hate speech,” which requires speech to incite violence or physical confrontation.
Despite the backlash, Hendrix has expressed gratitude for the support, stating in an emotional update that her family is safe for now but will not feel secure until they can fully escape the situation. Meanwhile, legal authorities, including the Rochester Police Department, are still investigating the incident, and experts believe it’s unlikely to result in criminal charges. While Hendrix has raised significant funds, the NAACP is also fundraising for the child involved, with over $300,000 raised so far toward their $500,000 goal. The situation continues to unfold, with many questioning the ethics of supporting such a campaign and wondering where the line is drawn between free speech and accountability.
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00:00A video from Rochester, Minnesota has gone viral showing a woman allegedly using a racial slur
00:05against a five-year-old autistic child. The outrage was immediate, but what shocked many more,
00:10the woman at the center of the video has raised over $600,000 in donations.
00:15The video, which was recorded by the victim's uncle, Shamarke Omar, appears to show Omar
00:20asking if Hendricks called the child the n-word, to which Hendricks responded,
00:24it's none of your effing business. Omar proceeded to tell the woman it is his business,
00:28to which she flips off the camera and walks away. As the video continues, Omar continues to question
00:33Hendricks, asking her, quote, Okay, why don't you have the boss to say it right now again?
00:37In turn, Hendricks repeatedly threw racial slurs towards Omar, before walking away while claiming
00:43the child was digging through her stuff. At one point, Omar asked if Hendricks was going to hit
00:48the child, to which she could be heard saying yes. Are you about to hit him? You chase him here?
00:52Then proceeded to justify what she was saying by stating,
00:55The video has since been re-shared across all social media platforms and picked up by national
01:04news outlets, mainly because Hendricks has since crowdfunded over $600,000 since the incident
01:09occurred. Reports state Hendricks initially set up a Give, Send, Go account with an initial goal
01:14of $50,000 to help her protect her family. According to the Give, Send, Go account, Shiloh stated,
01:20I recently had a kid steal from my 18-month-old son's diaper bag at a park. I called the kid
01:25out for what he was. The description continues, Another man, who we recently found out has had
01:30a history with law enforcement, proceeded to record me and follow me to my car. He then posted
01:35these videos online, which has caused my family and myself great turmoil. The man in question
01:40she's describing is Shamarke Omar, the uncle who filmed the incident at the park. According to
01:45Minnesota court records, Omar has been convicted on multiple traffic violations, but the case that
01:50has everyone online calling him a pedophile was dismissed. Omar, along with another man,
01:55Mohamed Omer, recently had charges dismissed in the interest of justice in a case involving the
02:01alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl, according to ABC 6 News. Court records indicate
02:07although the case was dismissed for assault, Omar was charged for disorderly conduct,
02:12something Shiloh herself is familiar with.
02:15Minnesota court records also reveal that in 2012, Hendrix was convicted of disorderly conduct
02:20for brawling or fighting, and in 2014, she was convicted of a DWI. But today, she's asking for
02:26the community's help. As she states, My address and phone number have been given out freely.
02:31My family members are being attacked. My eldest child may not be going back to school. Even where
02:36I exercise has been exposed. As of today, Hendrix has raised over $670,000 of her newly set $1 million goal,
02:43with one top donor giving her $10,000. Since going viral, the internet's been divided,
02:48with some expressing they've reported a Gibson Go account. But one TikTok user wrote,
02:54Where was all this outrage when Carmelo Anthony got a GoFundMe and had all this support?
02:59Carmelo Anthony is a 17-year-old who was charged with first-degree murder after a fatal stabbing of
03:04Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet. Reports state that Anthony's family faced backlash for raising
03:09over $500,000 on Gibson Go to fund his legal defense. The same platform now being used by
03:15Shiloh Hendrix and previously used by figures like Kyle Rittenhouse and Luigi Mangione.
03:20As for the case of Shiloh Hendrix, since the video went viral, KTTC reports that legal experts have
03:26weighed in on the case, stating the incident may not qualify as criminal hate speech, since U.S. law
03:31protects even offensive language under the First Amendment. Attorney Joe Tamburino explained that
03:36unless the speech includes fighting words likely to provoke physical violence, it's unlikely to be
03:41prosecutable. While the Rochester Police Department also stated they are still actively investigating
03:47the incident. Hendrix is now speaking out with an emotional update thanking supporters for their
03:52overwhelming generosity. She wrote that her family is safe for now and is taking steps to stay that
03:56way, but she won't feel secure until they can, quote, escape completely. As for the child, reports state
04:02that the NAACP has raised over $300,000 of their $500,000 goal, but let us know your thoughts and
04:09follow us everywhere at What's Trending.