Fact check: Did Minnesota authorities use LRAD sound weapon on anti-ICE protesters?

The posts claimed Minnesota State Police were seen testing an LRAD to disperse crowds of radical agitators

BY CONRAD DIAS

PUBLISHED JAN 30, 2026

Social media posts claimed Minnesota authorities used an LRAD sound weapon on anti-ICE protesters (Screengrab/IRT Media)

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: The anti-ICE protests across Minnesota escalated following the killing of two individuals - Renee Nicole Good, 37, and Alex Pretti, 37 - in January 2026. The recent death took place on January 24 when Pretti was shot dead by a federal agent.

Amid this, a rumor circulated online claiming that Minnesota authorities used a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) sound weapon on anti-ICE protesters. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Minnesota authorities used LRAD on anti-ICE protesters

A Bluesky user took to the social media platform and posted, "What the hell? Is this really the Minnesota State Police testing LRAD on protestors? LRAD is a long-range acoustic device. Sound as a weapon. Testing weapons on civilians is a war crime. If this is legit, it means weapons of war against US citizens."

Similarly, several other social media users shared the claim on Facebook and Reddit, and implied that authorities exposed protesters to inhumane sound levels.

A Facebook user wrote, "The tactical environment in Minnesota has reached a new level of enforcement. Minnesota State Police were captured on video testing and deploying the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) to disperse crowds of radical agitators who have been attempting to paralyze federal operations."

Moreover, CBS News published a story on Tuesday, January 27, where a retired Marine colonel reportedly said, "The LRAD is like a loudspeaker, but it focuses the sound in a narrow cone, so that if you're inside the cone, it's extremely loud."

Fact Check: True, Minnesota State Patrol confirmed using LRAD

The claims made in the online rumors are true, as the Minnesota State Patrol confirmed it used an LRAD at a standoff with protesters in Maple Grove on Monday, January 26.

The Minnesota State Patrol and local police in Maple Grove, a Minneapolis suburb, informed Snopes that the device was used to announce dispersal orders and did not inflict any bodily harm as a sonic weapon.

They claimed it did not use the device in a 'deterrent setting', meaning it was used only to make announcements regarding the unlawful assembly.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 24: Crowds of onlookers gather after federal agents allegedly shot a protestor amid a scuffle to arrest him on January 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trump administration has sent a reported 3,000 federal agents into the area, with more on the way, as they make a push to arrest undocumented immigrants in the region. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) — Crowds of onlookers gather after federal agents allegedly shot a protester amid a scuffle to arrest him on January 24, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

An LRAD is a specialized tool that emits high-frequency sound waves. It is capable of causing distress to the human body, including nausea, dizziness, and even organ damage, including permanent hearing loss in extreme cases.

Meanwhile, certain social media users showed confusion if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Guard, or local police had deployed the LRAD.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 09: Demonstrators stop outside various hotels to make noise to discourage federal agents from staying there on January 09, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protest have sparked up around the city after a federal agent on an immigration enforcement patrol allegedly fatally shot a woman in her car during an incident in south Minneapolis on Wednesday. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) — Demonstrators stop outside various hotels to make noise to discourage federal agents from staying there on January 09, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Maple Grove Police confirmed via email to the outlet that DHS and ICE were not involved in the planning or response to the protest. The Minnesota National Guard also confirmed via an emailed statement that it was not part of any activity near that location on January 26.

The crowd was gathered outside a hotel in Maple Grove, where protesters claimed Gregory Bovino — then the 'commander' of the crackdown in Minnesota — was staying.