A Minnesota sheriff is facing fierce backlash after delivering a rant linking deadly Fourth of July weekend gun violence to Somali youth gangs.
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher ignited a political firestorm on Monday after declaring during a ‘Live on Patrol’ stream, that officials could no longer stay silent about what he described as ‘a growing gang problem in the Twin Cities.’
The explosive comments were launched on the 2src-minute livestream after a holiday weekend marred by violence that investigators say were connected to rival Somali gangs.
Standing alongside gang investigators and RCSO Somali gang investigator Jama Shine, Fletcher insisted it was time for an honest conversation.
‘We can’t ignore it anymore,’ the sheriff urged, as authorities warned the violence was putting entire neighborhoods at risk.
Fletcher played a video from a double shooting on Saturday near the Quarry Shopping Center in northeast Minneapolis during the stream.
‘We’ve got a huge list of criminal activity, but having said that, we’re not indicting the whole community,’ Sheriff Fletcher said while sitting in his office addressing viewers.
‘Before you start fixing the problem, first you have to identify what it is,’ he later added in his speech, which has now accumulated tens of thousands of views.
Shine echoed the call for action, urging families, faith leaders and community organizations to step in before more young people are pulled into gang life.
Sheriff Bob Ramsey has triggered outrage after he claimed his area housed a Somali gang problem, claiming that the string of violent events occurring in Minneapolis over Independence Day weekend was linked to them
Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher displayed video footage from a double shooting on Saturday near the Quarry Shopping Center in northeast Minneapolis on his latest ‘Live on Patrol’ stream
The Sheriff cited a dramatic spike in the gang violence and declared the solution would need input from a collective of community leaders, parents and law enforcement
‘This needs to stop,’ Shine said, adding, ‘We need to come together from law enforcement, community members, faith leaders, and to find a solution for this youth.’
Officials say many of the feuds begin online before exploding into real-world violence, with social media insults and neighborhood rivalries quickly escalating into gunfire.
Another investigator addressing this issue, Ben Seidl, said he’s tracking at least a dozen Somali gangs in the Twin Cities and metro area, operating with roughly 3srcsrc members.
‘We need to come together; we need to [find] something to do for the kids. All right, most of these kids… don’t have places to go,’ Seidl said.
Fletcher also announced a public meeting on July 21 at the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office in Arden Hills, saying residents, community leaders and law enforcement must work together to stop the bloodshed before it gets worse.
But the sheriff’s remarks immediately instigated robust pushback.
Fletcher says he has sent his officials into the Somali community to talk to parents, many of whom don’t know their child is even in a gang
While others agreed with the indication Fletcher made they opposed the way the messaging was delivered
Civil rights advocates and elected officials accused Fletcher of unfairly singling out an entire ethnic community instead of focusing solely on the individuals responsible for the violence.
Suleiman Adan, deputy executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), said criminals should be prosecuted but warned the sheriff’s language could reinforce damaging stereotypes.
He argued that lasting solutions lie in prevention, youth programs, education and stronger community partnerships – not rhetoric that risks painting an entire community with the same brush.
Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman says he was ‘dismayed and deeply disappointed’ by the way the issue had been framed.
The Minneapolis Police Department, meanwhile, said in a statement that investigations into the weekend violence were ‘open and ongoing.’
‘MPD will not comment on investigative details or speculate about potential gang or group involvement until all facts are confirmed,’ the statement said.
But Fletcher has refused to back down.
The sheriff says confronting the problem openly is the only way to stop the loss of more young lives. He also insists his office has spent years working alongside Somali community leaders and is targeting violent offenders – not the wider Somali population.
Investigators say these gangs are unlike traditional criminal organizations built around drugs or organized crime. Instead, many are made up of teenagers and young adults whose personal disputes rapidly spiral into shootings.
Authorities also warned that some suspects have been caught carrying illegally modified firearms capable of automatic fire, dramatically increasing the risk to innocent bystanders.
Police believe there is still time to intervene before the gangs become larger and more deeply entrenched.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department and the RCSO for comment.
