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What's The 'Playground Karen' Video? Here's How Shiloh Hendricks Raised Over $500,000 After A Video Captured Her Using a Racial Slur
A playground altercation in Rochester, Minnesota, went viral and became a national flashpoint over the last week. The altercation was captured in a now-viral video in late April 2025 and shows a woman repeatedly using a racial slur toward a Black child.
As millions watched and debated the footage, Shiloh Hendricks, the woman at the center of the drama, rebranded herself as a persecuted mother and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars online.
But the story didn't end there. The internet grew more divided than ever after new allegations against the person recording the video surfaced.
Here's a recap of the so-called "Playground Karen" video and the controversy it ignited.
What Is the Playground Karen Video and How Did It Go Viral?
On April 30th, 2025, TikTok user @dahab.soomaale uploaded a now-deleted video showing Shiloh Hendricks, later dubbed "Playground Karen," using the N-word toward a Black child in a Minnesota playground.
The video was quickly reposted by creator and TikToker @tizzyent, among many others, whose commentary version racked up over 10 million views and 1 million likes in just two days.
@tizzyent Rochester MN, Who is she?
The virality snowballed across platforms like Reddit, TikTok and Twitter / X over the following days, transforming the clip from a local incident into a nationwide controversy by early May.
What followed was intense backlash against Hendricks, but also doxxing and dueling narratives about what really happened on the playground that day.
Who is Shiloh Hendricks, and How Did She Raise Money After Her Viral Incident?
Shiloh Hendricks launched a GiveSendGo fundraiser shortly after facing backlash over the viral video of her launching racial epithets at a child on April 30th, 2025.
Titled "Help Me Protect My Family," her campaign claimed that her reaction was sparked by a Black child allegedly stealing her toddler's diaper bag and that she was being harassed and doxxed as a result of her video going viral.
The campaign surpassed its $150,000 goal within 48 hours, reaching $600,000 by May 5th. Despite mounting criticism, her fundraising goal continued to grow, aided by right-wing online support.
She framed herself as a victim of cancel culture, successfully monetizing outrage in a pattern reminiscent of previous viral controversies like the "Central Park Karen" video.
Who Is Sharmake Beyle Omar, And What Are The Allegations Against Him?
Shortly after the Playground Karen video went viral, internet users began sharing rumors that the man who recorded the clip was Sharmake Beyle Omar, a Somali-American man linked to a 2022 case of alleged criminal conduct.
According to archived reports from ABC6 News, Omar was charged with 3rd and 5th degree misconduct involving a 16-year-old girl, but those charges were dismissed in March 2025.
On May 1st, 2025, X user @1776General_ amplified these claims, posting, "God bless this based mother for defending her child from a Somali," a tweet that gained over 3 million views and 41,000 likes in one day.
God bless this based mother for defending her child from a Somali.What is a p-------e doing at a children's park? pic.twitter.com/i6A96yUnEH
— The General (@1776General_) May 1, 2025
What Are Some More Online Reactions To The Viral Video?
As with many such cases, the internet reaction was immediate, furious and fragmented.
On April 30th, a post of the original video on Reddit's /r/worldnewsvideo subreddit drew over 5,600 upvotes and 1,400 comments in a couple of days, with users largely condemning Hendricks' actions.
The following day, her GiveSendGo campaign was reposted on the subreddit /r/awfuleverything, racking up 3,600 upvotes and 550 comments in a day as Redditors slammed the donations as a "grift."
On TikTok, user @auntkaren0 stitched together footage from the playground and the donation page in a scathing video that garnered 52,000 views and 4,400 likes in hours.
@auntkaren0 Shiloh Hendrix has raised 250k after calling a black boy with autism racial slurs. This world is so messed up. This happened in Minnesota. #blacklivesmatter ♬ original sound – Auntkaren0
For the full history of Playground Karen, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
