Wikstrom for Congress

As law enforcement addresses an alleged ISIS plot targeting an upcoming Hmong Arts Celebration at the Mall of America alongside ongoing concerns surrounding regional gang activity, local community members are questioning why Representative Ilhan Omar and Representative Betty McCollum have not publicly addressed these specific safety developments.
Why have local leaders remained quiet on these incidents, particularly given the direct impact on Twin Cities communities and key local constituencies? Public safety requires accountability and clear communication from every level of leadership, not silence.

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Paul Wikstrom: Eden Prairie Homecoming Football Game Shooting Is Latest Proof of Unchecked Twin Cities Gang Violence
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Following a violent shooting outside Aerie Stadium during Friday night’s Eden Prairie High School homecoming football game that left two injured and forced students and families into lockdown, Republican Congressional candidate Paul Wikstrom (MN-04) issued a statement confronting the regional crisis of youth gang violence and calling out local news media for turning a blind eye.
Friday's shooting in Eden Prairie reflects a broader pattern of unchecked street violence across Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, mirroring high-profile altercations at the Quarry Shopping Center in Northeast Minneapolis and the persistent prevalence of gang-related violence in Dinkytown near the University of Minnesota campus.
Data compiled by Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher’s office links 12 active juvenile gangs—encompassing roughly 300 core members—to 14 homicides and more than 100 shooting incidents across the Twin Cities metro.

Sheriff Fletcher’s office has repeatedly warned the public about the organized youth gang dynamics driving the violence and retaliatory feuds amplified on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

"What happened Friday night at Eden Prairie High School is not an isolated incident—it is part of a direct, connected line of gang violence running through Dinkytown, commercial corridors, and suburban high school events," said Paul Wikstrom, Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in Minnesota's 4th Congressional District.

"Sheriff Bob Fletcher has had the courage to lay out the facts for the public. Yet, mainstream media outlets continue to ignore the scope of this crisis, sanitizing these headlines and pretending these are random acts of violence rather than an organized gang issue."

Wikstrom focused sharp criticism on long-time District 4 representative Betty McCollum, contrasting her ongoing silence on local public safety with her federal representation.
"For decades, Betty McCollum has represented Ramsey County in Washington, yet as violent juvenile gangs terrorize our neighborhoods, her response to this growing metro crisis has been total silence," said Wikstrom. "While families fear for their safety at high school football games, Representative McCollum refuses to use her office to speak out, to bring transparency to the issue, or to demand accountability for our communities."
Wikstrom also pointed to broader systemic failures at the state and county levels under Governor Tim Walz and Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty.
"This crisis is compounded by executive and prosecutorial failure at the state and county levels," Wikstrom added. "Governor Tim Walz continues to ignore the escalating multi-county gang problem, while Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has actively undermined law enforcement by offering soft-on-crime plea deals to repeat violent juvenile offenders rather than holding gang members accountable.

Between Representative McCollum’s complete absence, Governor Walz’s inaction, and Mary Moriarty’s lenient prosecution, Twin Cities residents are left paying the price for leadership that refuses to enforce the law.”