Nurse Dismissed Following Controversial Social Media Posts Targeting Federal Officers
A healthcare professional who caused significant public outrage by sharing TikTok videos that provided advice on how to harm Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has been terminated from her position. Malinda Rose Cook posted multiple clips on the social media platform, urging fellow medical providers and protesters to inject agents with muscle relaxants and spray them with poison ivy water.
Hospital Investigation Leads to Immediate Dismissal
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health initially suspended the nurse pending an internal investigation. The hospital has since confirmed that she has been fired and reported to local law enforcement authorities in accordance with Virginia state regulations. In an official statement, VCU Health declared, 'Following an investigation, the individual involved in the social media videos is no longer employed by VCU Health. In addition, VCU Health has fulfilled its reporting requirements under Virginia state law.'
Detailed Content of Controversial Videos Revealed
In her since-deleted TikTok videos, Cook specifically advised medical providers to fill syringes with saline or succinylcholine, a powerful anesthetic that paralyzes every muscle in the body, including those required for breathing. She described this as a 'sabotage tactic, or at least scare tactic' to be used against ICE agents. The substance, which is typically used briefly during surgical procedures to insert breathing tubes and wears off within five to ten minutes, can be extremely dangerous if administered without proper medical supervision.
Cook was filmed in what appeared to be a hospital setting, stating, 'All the medical providers, grab some syringes with needles on the end. Have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever. That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe.' She further suggested that protesters gather poison ivy, mix it with water, and use water guns to target agents' faces and hands.
Additional Controversial Recommendations and Context
The nurse also proposed using dating apps to identify ICE agents, recommending that individuals 'bring some ex-lax and put it in their drinks. Get them sick. You know, nobody's going to die. Just enough to incapacitate them and get them off the street for the next day. Highly, easily deniable.' These posts emerged amid growing public anger following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Although Cook's original videos have been removed from TikTok, a compilation was reposted on X by the right-wing news account Libs of TikTok, which questioned how such a person could be employed in patient care.
Broader Implications and Public Response
The incident has raised serious concerns about professional conduct and social media use among healthcare workers. Federal forces patrolling streets in Minneapolis have sparked continuous protests, with residents engaging in peaceful demonstrations that include blasting music outside hotels where agents stay, filming them, and marching in the streets. The federal response has involved increased crackdowns, sometimes with fatal outcomes, as highlighted by investigations into multiple shooting incidents involving federal officers.
The killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man, has become a national flashpoint for outrage and scrutiny. Cellphone videos from the scene depict Pretti calmly filming before being pepper-sprayed, beaten, and ultimately shot while pinned on the ground. Analyses indicate that ten shots were fired into his back and chest in less than five seconds, contradicting official Department of Homeland Security claims that he approached officers with a gun in a threatening manner. The Daily Mail attempted to contact Cook for comment but received no response.
