Healthcare Worker's Social Media Posts Calling for Violence Against Federal Agents Trigger Widespread Condemnation
Following recent unrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a healthcare professional has ignited significant controversy through a series of social media posts advocating for harmful actions against federal immigration officers. The individual, identified as Malinda Rose Cook, reportedly works as a nurse within the Virginia Commonwealth University Health system.
Disturbing Recommendations for Protest Tactics
In videos originally shared on TikTok, Cook allegedly urged fellow medical providers to prepare syringes filled with either saline solution or succinylcholine. This powerful anaesthetic agent induces complete muscle paralysis within seconds, including the muscles required for breathing. While medically supervised use during brief surgical procedures is standard, improper administration without medical oversight poses extreme danger.
Cook stated in her video: ‘That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe.’ Beyond pharmaceutical suggestions, she advised protesters to create irritant mixtures by soaking poison ivy in water and loading it into water guns, specifically targeting faces and hands.
Further Controversial Advice on Dating Platforms
In a separate video segment, Cook directed single women to use dating applications to connect with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Her recommendation involved surreptitiously adding laxatives to their drinks, stating: ‘Bring some Ex-Lax and put it in their drinks. Get them sick, you know, nobody's gonna die. Just enough to incapacitate them, get them off the street for the next day.’
Although Cook's original TikTok content has been removed from the platform, a compilation was disseminated by the right-wing social media account Libs of TikTok. The account publicly questioned VCU Health about employing an individual expressing such views, asking how patients could feel safe under these circumstances.
Institutional Response and Ongoing Investigation
Virginia Commonwealth University Health has confirmed awareness of the videos and identified Cook as an employee. A spokesperson provided a statement to the Daily Mail, emphasising: ‘We prioritize the health and safety of anyone who comes to us for care. The content of the videos is highly inappropriate and does not reflect the integrity or values of our health system.’
The spokesperson confirmed that VCU Police are assisting with an investigation. Following institutional policy, the employee has been placed on administrative leave during the inquiry and is barred from facilities and patient interaction. Attempts by the Daily Mail to contact Cook for comment have thus far been unsuccessful.
Broader Context of Minneapolis Protests
These developments occur against a backdrop of sustained protests in Minneapolis, where federal agent patrols have prompted continuous demonstrations. Protesters have employed tactics like playing loud music outside agents' accommodations, filming them, shouting, and marching.
Federal responses have reportedly intensified, sometimes with tragic outcomes. A recent Washington Post investigation highlighted a pattern within the previous administration of prematurely defending federal officers involved in at least sixteen shooting incidents, often before evidence emerged contradicting initial claims.
Fatal Shooting Intensifies National Scrutiny
The protests have been largely peaceful, with no reports of demonstrators firing weapons. However, the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Veteran's Affairs nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents has become a major focal point for national outrage and examination.
Cellphone footage from the incident appears to show Pretti filming calmly before being pepper-sprayed, beaten, and ultimately shot while pinned on the ground. Video analyses indicate ten shots were fired into his back and chest within five seconds as he lay prone.
This visual evidence directly challenges official Department of Homeland Security assertions that Pretti approached officers threateningly with a gun, intending to ‘massacre’ them. The discrepancy between official accounts and video documentation has significantly heightened public and media scrutiny of federal agents' conduct during these operations.
