Just hours after U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters called upon her followers to get more confrontational, a National Guard security team in Minneapolis was the target of a drive-by shooting. One soldier was treated at the hospital for lacerations from shards of broken glass and other members suffered minor injuries.
The attack happened after Waters called for Minnesotans to get more aggressive in their attacks against “racists”.
A Minnesota National Guard and Minneapolis Police Department neighborhood security team was fired upon early Sunday morning in a drive by shooting near Penn Avenue and Broadway.
On Saturday, Waters attempted to incite violence in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul region, saying, “We’re looking for a guilty verdict. We gotta stay on the streets. We gotta stay active. We gotta get more confrontational. We got to make sure they know that we mean business.”
A drive-by shooting definitely lets people know you mean business.
House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he intends to bring action in Congress against Waters for her incitement this week.
“Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis — just as she has incited it in the past. If Speaker Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week,” McCarthy said.
The shooting occurred on or about 4:19 a.m., as a light-colored SUV fired several shots at an Operation Safety Net security team providing neighborhood security. No team members were seriously injured. Two National Guard members did sustain minor injuries from the incident. One Guardsman sustained an injury from shattered glass requiring additional care and was taken to a local hospital to receive treatment for injuries sustained. The other Guardsman received only superficial injuries.
“I am relieved to know none of our Guardsmen were seriously injured,” said Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General. “This event highlights the volatility and tension in our communities right now. I ask for peace as we work through this difficult time.”
The Minnesota National Guard is activated as part of Operation Safety Net, a joint effort among the Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the State of Minnesota and local jurisdictions. The Minnesota National Guard was activated as part of the effort to protect people, freedom of speech and property during the Derek Chauvin trial as well as the aftermath of the police involved shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center.