Fact Check: Walz Didn't Order Police To Shoot Paintball Guns at Residents Who Violated COVID-19 Lockdown

Claim:

As governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz ordered police to shoot residents with paintball guns for not obeying curfew orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rating:

Context:

While Walz did enact a curfew in Minneapolis, it was in response to protests over the killing of George Floyd, not because of the COVID-19 pandemic; nor did he order police to shoot paintball guns at residents to enforce the curfew.

On Aug. 6, 2024 , U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced that her Democratic running mate in the 2024 presidential election would be Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. In the months following the announcement, Republican influencers frequently attempted to discredit Walz with rumors and innuendo and attack his record as governor.

One such claim was that in summer 2020, Walz ordered police to shoot residents on their porches with paintball guns for breaking curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic. Snopes found examples of this claim dating back to just after Harris announced Walz would join her campaign.

This claim is false. While Walz did order a curfew, that order was not issued as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, nor did it instruct police to shoot paintballs at people.

Walz declared a peacetime emergency on May 28, 2020, following the large protests over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. On that day, he activated the Minnesota National Guard. The following day, Walz announced a curfew in Minneapolis and St. Paul between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. One of the executive orders extending that curfew can be viewed here .

The video shared in social media posts was of police officers enforcing the curfew — albeit in a way not stipulated in Walz's executive order. According to a FAQ page on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety's website, people were allowed to be outside on their property during the curfew. However, the instruction also noted that "if a law enforcement officer or other public safety official asks you to go inside, or take any other action, you must follow the instruction."

There was no mention of paintballs in Walz's executive order. It is unclear why the police chose to enforce the curfew that way. Comments on a post in the r/Minnesota subreddit from the time the original video was shared expressed confusion about this point as well.

Sources:

"George Floyd Protest Turns Deadly; Minneapolis Mayor Requests National Guard." NBC News, 28 May 2020, .

"Harris Introduces New Running Mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the 'Vice President America Deserves.'" AP News, 6 Aug. 2024, .