A social media controversy that exploded online earlier this week has now crossed into the realm of law enforcement, as authorities investigate a former Virginia Commonwealth University Health nurse over incendiary TikTok videos targeting federal immigration agents.
According to Fox News, VCU police confirmed Thursday afternoon that Malinda Cook, who was terminated from her position earlier this week, is under criminal investigation following the circulation of videos in which she appeared to encourage other health care workers to drug and “sabotage” Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Cook was fired Tuesday evening after what VCU Health described as a brief internal investigation.
The hospital system acted one day after three videos she posted to TikTok were stitched together and reshared on X by the widely followed account LibsOfTikTok.
Those clips quickly went viral, triggering widespread backlash and placing Cook at the center of a national firestorm. The fallout cost her job and has now drawn the attention of authorities.
In one video, Cook suggested that medical professionals intimidate or incapacitate ICE agents using syringes and drugs. The video was captioned with “#ice #resistance #sabotage.”
“I thought of something good,” Cook said.
“Sabotage tactic, or at least scare tactic. All the medical providers, grab some syringes with needles on the end,” she continued. “Have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever. That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe.”
Succinylcholine is an anesthetic known for causing rapid, short-term muscle paralysis, with effects typically lasting four to six minutes.
Cook also encouraged viewers to mix poison ivy and poison oak with water and spray it on perceived opponents using a water gun.
“Aim for faces, hands,” she said.
In another clip, she directed single women to target ICE agents socially and sabotage their food.
“Single ladies, where these ICE guys are going, have a chance to do something, you know, not without risk, but could help the cause for sure,” Cook said. “Get on Tinder, get on Hinge, find these guys. They’re around. [If] they’re an ICE agent, bring some ex-lax and put it in their drinks. Get them sick. You know, nobody’s going to die. Just enough to incapacitate them and get them off the street for the next day. Highly, easily deniable.”
“I’m just saying, let’s get them where they eat,” she added. “Somebody’s not going to be supporting these guys. Where’s the hotel where they eat? Who makes that breakfast? Let’s find them.”
“Let’s make their lives f***ing miserable,” Cook said later.
The comments drew sharp criticism from a medical watchdog group, which argued that Cook’s firing did not go far enough.
“As we’ve documented at Do No Harm, VCU has a long history of pushing extreme identity politics into medical education and clinical treatment,” Do No Harm Executive Director Kristina Rasmussen told Fox News Digital. “Now, they act surprised when radicalism sprouts from a ground seeded with toxic ideology.”
“When medical schools and hospitals allow radical politics to shape curriculum, they end up training harmful activists rather than skilled medical professionals,” Rasmussen added. “VCU Health firing this nurse is the bare minimum response. Unless they clean up their act, how will any patient feel safe walking through their doors?”
Authorities have not announced whether charges will be filed, but confirmed the investigation remains ongoing.
