Arrest and Charges
On Wednesday, federal officials said they had prevented a planned terrorist strike at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, faces one charge of acquiring a firearm to commit an act of terrorism. He was taken into custody Tuesday in a public park after handing $600 to an undercover FBI employee who was posing as an Islamic State member, receiving an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition, the criminal complaint states.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6][S7][S8]
Investigation and Evidence
Mohamud had been under FBI investigation for nearly two years. His messages with a confidential informant, dating back to December 2024, revealed that he initially expressed a desire to join terrorist organizations overseas. When those plans failed, he shifted to planning an attack in Minnesota. In the messages, he stated his wish to be martyred and to save up to travel abroad or get a gun and start killing a bunch of white people.[S1]
Minnesota police said Mohamud appeared on the mall's security footage strolling in a casual manner and later held up a Lids store at gunpoint before he was caught. US attorney Daniel Rosen stated that Mohamud required surveillance. Rosen also said agents managed to spot the threat and stop it before the defendant could carry out his stated aim of killing, in his words, perhaps 30 to 60 people, as described more fully in the complaint.[S1]
Context and Concerns
The planned mall shooting comes after two recent shootings in which Somali teens were both victims and suspects, among them a gang-related shooting in Bloomington where over 100 rounds were fired. With terrorism and violence becoming a growing worry in Minnesota, some law enforcement officials are urging the creation of a regional taskforce to prevent further harm in the state. What first triggered the FBI's investigation has not been made clear.[S1]
