Report by Obinna Ejianya (9News Nigeria)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has foiled an alleged ISIS-inspired mass shooting plot targeting the Mall of America in Minnesota, arresting an 18-year-old who prosecutors say intended to kill between 30 and 60 people during an event later this month.
Federal authorities announced on Wednesday, October 7, that Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested the previous day during an undercover operation in Richfield, near the shopping centre in Bloomington. Investigators allege that he discussed attacking the mall on October 24, when a Hmong Arts Celebration was expected to draw crowds.
President Donald Trump praised the bureau’s handling of the case when reporters asked him about the alleged plot on Wednesday.
“The FBI did a great job,” Trump said.
According to the criminal complaint, Mohamud paid $600 to an undercover FBI employee posing as an ISIS member for an AK-47-style rifle and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition before agents took him into custody. Prosecutors said the rifle had been rendered inoperable before the transaction, although the ammunition was live.
The arrest followed a counterterrorism investigation dating back to December 2024. Authorities said Mohamud exchanged hundreds of messages with a confidential source through social media and encrypted messaging applications, allegedly discussing his support for extremist organisations and his willingness to carry out a mass-casualty attack in Minnesota.
Investigators allege that he initially considered travelling to Somalia to join an extremist group but turned his attention to an attack in the United States because he could not afford the journey. His communications allegedly identified the Mall of America as a target and referred to killing non-Muslims, while prosecutors said he also cited the shopping centre’s Jewish ownership as a reason for choosing it.
U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen credited investigators with identifying and disrupting the threat before the suspect could carry out the alleged attack. FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson said the messages attributed to Mohamud showed an admiration for ideologically motivated violence and a determination to harm civilians.
Mohamud faces a federal charge of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition while knowing, or having reasonable cause to believe, that they would be used to commit a felony and a federal crime of terrorism, according to the court filing. The allegations have not been proven in court, and he is presumed innocent unless convicted.
He made an initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul on Wednesday, where he was represented by federal public defender Siri Carlson McDowell. His lawyer and relatives declined to comment after the hearing, the Associated Press reported.
Responding to the arrest, the Mall of America said it maintains several layers of security, including measures visible to visitors and others operating behind the scenes, and would continue cooperating with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
