Doxxing campaign targets local Kirk critics

Minnesota educators, journalists and public employees are facing harassment after far-right influencers circulated their personal information online following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to social-media posts and interviews.

Chaya Raichik, creator of the Libs of TikTok account, launched the campaign with a post reading “THIS IS WAR” shortly after Kirk’s death. Former President Donald Trump issued a statement blaming “radical left political violence,” while making no mention of the recent assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark.

Among those amplifying the posts are Liz Collin, a reporter with the conservative outlet Alpha News and wife of former Minneapolis police union head Bob Kroll; the account @MediaWatchMN; and commentator Dustin Grage. The group reposted workplace details and personal information about local journalists and public employees, including Star Tribune reporter Deena Winter, and demanded she be fired for allegedly “celebrating murder,” a claim not supported by anything Winter has written.

“So. Gross,” Collin wrote on X.

“The @strib needs to fire Deena Winter, the disgusting, murder-supporting ‘journalist’ publishing this garbage,” @MediaWatchMN added.

Neither the Star Tribune nor Winter responded to requests for comment.

Kirk’s controversial legacy 

Before his death, Kirk was widely criticized for inflammatory remarks about Muslims and Black leaders. He once accused Minneapolis State Sen. Omar Fateh, who is Muslim, of participating in an “Islamic takeover of America,” and falsely claimed that “Muslims are commanded to take over the government in the land they live.” 

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey defended Fateh, calling the comments “dangerous and inflammatory.” Both Frey and Fateh condemned Kirk’s killing as unacceptable political violence.

Kirk also attacked Black leaders, referring to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as “a diversity hire” and falsely claiming George Floyd died of an overdose despite autopsy findings and court rulings to the contrary.

Educators and journalists targeted 

Dane Sehaj McLain, a social studies teacher at Minneapolis North High School, became a focus of the campaign after Grage reposted a screenshot of a Facebook comment he had made during a heated political debate. The post, since deleted, read: “Violence is in fact ok AND necessary… to confront hateful violent fascists.” 

“Hi @MPS_News, [is] this your teacher?? Any comment?” Libs of TikTok wrote on X.

McLain told the MSR that his words were taken out of context and that he was “shocked and appalled by the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.” He said, “I don’t believe anyone should face violence, intimidation or threats when they are speaking their minds.”

He described a barrage of harassment: “Relentless calls at my job. Calls on my phone. Emails. Threatening social media posts. Disgusting comments calling me a psychopath and a fascist.” 

Minneapolis Public Schools did not respond to requests for comment.

McLain said those calling for his firing are defending Kirk, who “advocated for public executions brought to you by Coke” and “dehumanized my Muslim, Latino, and Black students.”

Other targets include Christina Moran, an administrative assistant for Hennepin County, and Minneapolis resident Antonio Reynero, whose social-media post questioning Kirk’s legacy was shared by @MediaWatchMN.

Experts warn of real-world harm 

Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, founding director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University, said doxxing campaigns often lead to dangerous consequences, especially when family members or bystanders are drawn in.

“We’ve seen cases where the wrong person gets harassed, an old address, someone’s child, a family member,” Miller-Idriss said. “These campaigns fuel hate attacks, threats and violence, sometimes against people who had nothing to do with the original post.”

McLain said even his sister has received harassing calls. “They even got my sister’s number,” he said. “This is the kind of mob effect that leads to real-world harm.”

Miller-Idriss warned that escalating rhetoric on both the left and right risks pushing the country toward a “tinderbox moment” in the wake of Kirk’s death.

Congressional fallout 

National tensions spilled into Congress as Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) introduced a resolution to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from the House Budget and Education and Workforce committees. They accused Omar of making hateful remarks about Kirk’s death after she reposted a video calling Kirk a “stochastic terrorist,” even though she condemned the killing and expressed sympathy for Kirk’s family. 

The House voted 214-213 to table the resolution, with four Republicans joining Democrats to block the effort.

As online harassment continues, local educators and journalists say the threats highlight a growing danger. “I’m proud to teach my students to think critically,” McLain said. “But nobody should have to fear for their life or their family’s safety for speaking their mind.”

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