Violence surrounding the ongoing unrest in Minneapolis has once again spilled over onto members of the press, highlighting the increasingly dangerous conditions facing journalists covering events on the ground.
On Sunday evening, independent reporter Nick Sortor was assaulted and robbed while reporting from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, an area widely known as “Little Mogadishu” because of its large Somali population. The incident underscores how volatile the situation in the city has become following weeks of protests tied to immigration enforcement and the January 7 shooting of activist Renee Good.
According to video footage and Sortor’s own account, the attack began when a woman approached his vehicle and forcibly took a high-end camera valued at approximately $1,000 directly from his hands. Sortor attempted to pursue the suspect on foot as she and others fled in a red Kia K5 sedan bearing Minnesota license plate ZKG 007. During the escape, Sortor’s hand became caught in the vehicle’s door handle, and he was dragged several feet along an icy sidewalk before freeing himself, an episode that placed him at serious risk of injury.
We’re on it. https://t.co/NfTouaIb0a
— FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) January 19, 2026
The confrontation did not end with the suspects’ departure. Sortor reported that bystanders in the area, including masked agitators, did not intervene to assist him. Instead, he said he was surrounded and threatened in the aftermath.
Reporting from the New York Post indicated that a group later followed Sortor’s vehicle for roughly 30 minutes, repeatedly honking and creating what was described as an atmosphere of intimidation. Witnesses in video footage can be heard shouting that his camera had been taken as the suspects’ vehicle swerved aggressively during its escape.
In a post shared shortly after the incident, Sortor said he was “banged up” but otherwise okay, with injuries primarily to his hand and scrapes sustained while being dragged. He also noted that he was able to capture the vehicle’s license plate, which has since circulated widely online in hopes of aiding an investigation. The FBI’s rapid response team publicly acknowledged the incident, posting “We’re on it” in response to Sortor’s video.
🚨 INFURIATING: After Somali thugs commit FELONY ROBBERY against me, Minneapolis Police tell me *I’M* the problem and *I* need to leave
NO.
REFUSING to arrest Somali thieves is EXACTLY WHY America is in this situation to begin with.
I’m DOUBLING DOWN, and I WILL NOT LEAVE. pic.twitter.com/uCIWNu9jG8
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 19, 2026
The attack prompted an outpouring of support, particularly from conservative figures who praised Sortor’s reporting. Attorney Mike Davis publicly offered to help replace the stolen camera. The incident marked the second time Sortor has been assaulted in Minneapolis since unrest intensified earlier this month. Just one week earlier, both Sortor and fellow journalist Cam Higby reported being assaulted and followed by rioters, forcing them to flee in a vehicle.
