A Shakopee couple says a viral video involving two Somali women unfairly branded them as racists while omitting racial slurs they say were directed at them first.
In an exclusive interview with Alpha News, Brian and Jen Wagner are speaking publicly for the first time since the June 22 confrontation in Shakopee went viral. The couple previously released a statement through their attorney saying the short video clip was being “weaponized to create a false narrative” portraying them as racists.
“The public saw a shortened, selective clip showing my reaction, but not the events that led up to it,” Brian Wagner told Alpha News. “Before that video began, racial slurs were directed at me.”
He alleges he was called a “f-cking white cracker” and a “redneck” before the viral video starts.
The Wagners are calling for the “full, unedited video” to be released.
The Wagners are also releasing previously unseen passerby footage that they say shows the women were the initial aggressors. Brian Wagner said the video shows one of the women “visibly angry, shouting, and clapping” as she walks toward him.
“Their vehicle doors remained open and the cars were left running in the street while I remained on the sidewalk,” he said.
Wagner shared the previously unreleased video with Alpha News.
Viral video
The initial video, which has been viewed millions of times, first appeared on TikTok and has since been deleted by the original poster. It shows a heated exchange between the Wagners and two sisters identified in local news reports only as Hamdi and Sumaya.
The sisters told local media outlets they had just left a tour of a home for sale in a Shakopee neighborhood. Wagner said he and his wife were out for a walk when they encountered two women, who appeared to be in their early 20s, leaving a house listed for sale at $629,000.
According to Wagner, he casually asked the women whether they were planning to buy the home. He said they took offense to the question, and a verbal exchange followed. Wagner said he and his wife then crossed the street toward their own home, while the women got into their vehicles, drove a short distance, parked, and got out to continue the confrontation.
The video released by the sisters appears to pick up after that initial exchange. It begins with one of the women, who is holding a cellphone, repeatedly shouting, “Worry about your own money.”
Brian Wagner, who is standing several feet away on the sidewalk and is more difficult to hear, then appears to make a comment about them “stealing.”
The woman responds, “Yep, steal your money every damn day. You gonna cry about it? Yep, and you f-ckers are sad as f-ck. You’re sad as f-ck, sad as f-ck.”
“Nobody wants you here, not a single person wants you here,” Brian Wagner replied. “I can smell you from here.”
It was those remarks from Wagner that quickly became the focus of much of the media coverage.
Alpha News reviewed a KARE 11 report that described the sisters, Hamdi and Sumaya, as “Somali homebuyers.”
The report did not include soundbites of one of the sisters saying they “steal” money or shouting profanities at the Wagners. Instead, it focused on Wagner’s remarks — comments he told Alpha News he regrets.
In their interview with KARE 11, the sisters wore face coverings that obscured much of their faces. However, Wagner said the women were not wearing masks during the encounter, and the woman seen in the passerby’s video is not wearing one.
Asked about the difference, Wagner said: “Show the world who you are. You showed the world who we are.”
Incident report raises new questions
The sisters also told the outlet they “plan to file a police report against the couple.”
When Alpha News asked the Shakopee Police Department whether a police report had been filed, the department provided an incident report.
The report identifies the caller as Hamsa Hassan Isse, who told police he wanted to pursue “charges for a hate crime.”
According to the report, Isse “advised he wanted to press charges and then [the officer] could speak with his sister.”
Isse did not identify his sister by name and told the officer that a video had been “posted on TikTok.”
The officer wrote that he “requested the video to be sent” to him, but instead had to view it elsewhere because he “did not receive it from Hamsa.”
According to the incident report, after reviewing the video, the officer attempted to contact Isse several times and left a voicemail but did not indicate receiving a response.
The officer ultimately concluded that “at this moment, there is no crime.”
The circumstances have left the Wagners with several unanswered questions, including why the sisters did not publicly share their last names, why they wore masks during media interviews, and why a third party contacted police on their behalf and did not return subsequent calls from the responding officer.
Alpha News was unable to independently contact the sisters for comment, as the incident report does not identify the women by name, and local media reports have identified them only by their first names.
Wagner said he and his wife have been portrayed as racists, an allegation they strongly reject.
“We have always believed in judging people by their character and how they treat others — not by their race, religion, nationality, or any other characteristic,” the Wagners said. “Throughout our lives, we have built friendships with people from many different backgrounds.”
Viral fallout upends family’s lives
The Wagners said the consequences of the video’s rapid spread online have been severe.
“Since this incident, our personal and private information has been shared online,” they said.
According to Brian Wagner, he has lost his job and his wife’s daycare business has been placed in jeopardy.
The family has also received threatening voicemails, vulgar text messages and so many harassing phone calls that they changed their phone numbers, he said.
Wagner added that immediate and extended family members, friends and even their attorneys have also received threats.
“We have asked our legal team to pursue and seek prosecution for any criminal acts committed against us,” he said.
Despite the public backlash and ongoing controversy, the Wagners hope to move forward.
“We are lifelong Minnesotans and proud Americans,” they said. “We intend to put these events behind us and move forward with the next chapter of our lives.”
The Wagners also expressed gratitude to those who have supported the family.
“We are deeply grateful for the support we have received from our neighbors, family, friends, and members of our community,” they said.
A GiveSendGo campaign has been launched to help support the Wagner family.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
