The FBI stopped an 18-year-old man from carrying out a terrorist attack at the Mall of America in support of ISIS, the top federal prosecutor in Minnesota announced on Wednesday.
Sheikhdoon Mohamud, a U.S. citizen of Somali descent, was arrested and charged as part of a yearslong sting operation undertaken by the FBI. He had been under investigation since December 2024.
Leading up to his arrest in a public park on Tuesday, the suspect exchanged messages with an FBI informant posing as an ISIS terrorist. The undercover informant reportedly sold an AK-47 rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition to the teenager for $600.
Mohamud intended to kill dozens of non-Muslims with the weapon in the mass-casualty attack, according to his text messages with the confidential source. He allegedly planned to kill between 30 and 60 people at the Mall of America, based in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Mohamud faces one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition while knowing or having reason to believe they would be used in a felony or federal crime of terrorism, the criminal complaint shows.
“When he started talking about dates and methods, and the level of enthusiasm and commitment to it, the determination to intervene and disrupt was made, and to do it at the soonest possible time,” U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said at a press conference. “This was a radicalized young man who needed to be watched.”
The federal prosecutor explained the FBI tried to meet with Mohamud’s parents last year, but the bureau’s request was rejected.
“Today’s charges demonstrate that the threat of terrorism in support of ISIS and other foreign terrorist organizations is active and continuing,” Rosen said.
Attorney General Todd Blanche shared a screenshot on social media of one of the ISIS propaganda videos that Mohamud reportedly sent to the informant. The video depicted executions.
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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) thanked federal law enforcement and local police in his state for thwarting the terrorist plot.
“This is just another example of a large rise in Islamic extremism, which is disrupting our country’s values and way of life,” Emmer posted on X. “This kind of religious extremism and terrorism will NEVER be accepted in the United States of America.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
