Nagel Blames Minnesota Democrats for Twin Cities Gang Violence

Recent shootings and reports of gang-related activity in Minnesota's Twin Cities suburbs have intensified debate over public safety and criminal prosecution. John Nagel, a former Minnesota state trooper running for Congress, has blamed Democratic leaders for what he describes as inadequate law enforcement, citing a shooting outside an Eden Prairie high school football game and more than 100 shell casings recovered in Bloomington.

Nagel, who spent 30 years as a state trooper, criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., for what he characterized as a lack of public engagement with the incidents. He also targeted Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty over their approaches to crime enforcement.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Nagel questioned Omar's response to the violence.

"Where is Ilhan Omar in all of this? I would think that as a congressman that represents this particular area that she'd be at these meetings or she'd have a statement or she’d be sitting down and saying, ‘Hey, how can we help this? How could we stop this?’

And I don't see her." Nagel asked.

Nagel accused Democratic officials of having their "heads in the sand" and argued that political decisions had limited law enforcement's ability to respond effectively.

"They're being restrained by politicians, people that are trying soft on crime, people that're trying to send somebody other than a police officer to take care of issues, and it's not working," Nagel said.

Discussing the state's political leadership, Nagel said most Democrats "don’t want enforcement." He contrasted that position with what he described as growing public frustration over crime.

"The people do," Nagel said.

"They're tired of it."

Nagel argued that Democratic policies had contributed to a climate in which offenders felt increasingly confident about breaking the law. He described gang members as "emboldened" by the state's approach to criminal justice.

"Because of how the Democrats have run Minnesota over the years, these gang members and then just crooks in general, they’re emboldened by this," Nagel said.

Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher also addressed gang violence at a press conference during the week, identifying accountability as a major concern. Fletcher called it a "big chunk of the problem" and said Moriarty's office needed to be more "aggressive" in prosecuting juveniles.

A spokesperson for Moriarty's office, Daniel Borgertpoepping, told Fox News Digital that prosecutors had not received cases connected to the Bloomington incident for charging consideration. He said the cases "they’ll be thoroughly reviewed" if submitted.

Adam Abdihakeem Adam, 18, was charged Friday in connection with the shooting at the Eden Prairie homecoming football game. The charges include two counts of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree riot.

Moriarty said in a Friday press release that prosecutors would pursue accountability in the case.

"Mr. Adam will be held accountable," Moriarty said.

She described the incident as unacceptable and emphasized the need for a coordinated response.

"Violence in our communities is completely unacceptable and it requires a professional, coordinated response, which happened here."

Fletcher also addressed how authorities describe the ethnicity of individuals involved in gang activity. He pushed back against the broad label "East African," arguing that it did not accurately reflect the groups under discussion.

"98% of these gang members are Somali" and the broader label was not "fair," Fletcher said.

"I think we just have to say what it is and not run away from the term," Fletcher said.

Nagel argued that concerns about being labeled "racist" should not prevent authorities from identifying specific gangs. He said law enforcement should focus on people accused of committing crimes rather than treating an entire community as responsible.

"I mean, we have Latino gangs and Asian gangs and Black gangs, and we have Somali gangs. This is not being prejudicial." Nagel said.

He defended his characterization of the issue by referring to the people he said were involved in the incidents.

"It's a Somali problem" because that is "who's showing up," Nagel said.

He also rejected the idea that ethnicity should influence how police approach criminal investigations.

"It's ridiculous," Nagel said.

"I'm a police officer. I don't care who you are. I don't care what color you are."

Nagel proposed establishing a "gang task force" and called for stronger use of existing laws rather than additional legislation or funding requests.

"We don't need to pass any more laws. We don't need any more people asking for money to help their group. We need to take the laws that we have and prosecute people," Nagel said.

He argued that arrests and imprisonment were necessary to prevent further violence.

"We need enforcement, we need arrests, and we need incarceration," Nagel said.

Nagel is challenging Omar and independent candidate DeVelle Jackson in the upcoming midterm elections for Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Fox News Digital said it contacted the offices of Omar, Walz and Ellison for comment.