Woman who threatened Muslims hugs one of them

A North Dakota woman who threatened some Muslim women in a Walmart parking lot met with two of them Thursday and all “expressed their sincere regrets” about the incident and apologized, Fargo’s police chief said Thursday.

Police Chief David Todd posted a photo on Facebook Thursday of Amber Hensley of Mapleton with her arms around Leyla Hassan and Sarah Hassan, with Todd in the background.

Todd said the women “have come together and talked through this incident.”

“We have some ugliness in our community that needs to be addressed and worked on,” Todd said. “However, perhaps we can all take a lesson from what was an ugly unfortunate interaction and how even despite words being said that cannot be taken back, forgiveness and understanding can still be achieved.”

Hensley had said she was upset that the car the Muslim women were in was parked too close to her car in a Walmart parking lot in Fargo.

One of the Muslim women recorded video of Hensley shouting “We’re going to kill all of you” and posted it on Facebook on Tuesday night.

Hensley told KVRR-TV in a Facebook message that she lost her cool and wished she could take her comments back. In her apology she said one of the women she yelled at insulted Jesus, but Sarah Hassan told The Forum of Fargo that did not happen.

A partner at Horab & Wentz, the Fargo accounting firm where Hensley worked as a part-time secretary, confirms that she has since been fired. Deputy Fargo Police Chief Joe Anderson earlier told KFGOAM that police were investigating the confrontation.

The three women in the car are originally from Somalia and live in the Fargo area.

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has invited Hensley to meet with the Fargo Muslim community.