WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - An Islamic State-inspired teenager who plotted a mass-shooting terrorist attack at the busy Mall of America has been arrested.
U.S. Department of Justice said Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, of Richfield, Minnesota, was charged with one count of receiving a firearm and ammunition in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
The FBI arrested him on Tuesday, and he made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright on Wednesday.
'This individual allegedly obtained a weapon he hoped to use in a mass casualty attack in support of ISIS, but this FBI arrested him and put a stop to his plans,' said FBI Director Kash Patel. 'Once again this FBI is moving more effectively than we ever have before at stopping terrorists before they can attack Americans - with over 1,100 individuals prevented from conducting attacks, over 4,000 foreign terrorist organization related disruptions and arrests, a 38% increase, and more. We will continue to use every resource we have to detect and prevent acts of terrorism and wipe out their networks all over the country. Thank you to FBI Minneapolis who did an outstanding job in the investigation and likely saved lives.'
'Mohamud allegedly sought to carry out a mass-casualty shooting at the Mall of America, expressing a desire to emulate some of the most horrific ISIS-inspired attacks in the United States, including the atrocities at Pulse Nightclub and 2025 New Year's Day attack in New Orleans,' said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. 'The National Security Division will continue to work closely with the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force to track down and prosecute ISIS-inspired terrorists in the United States.'
According to the complaint, since December 2024, Mohamud exchanged hundreds of messages through social media with a confidential source expressing desire to commit a mass-casualty event in Minnesota using a firearm and ammunition.
In July this year, Mohamud sent messages discussing his intent to carry out a mass-casualty shooting attack at the Mall of America because he claimed it was owned by Jews. He wrote that wanted to kill 30 to 60 people so no one would go there.
Mohamud stated that he wanted to commit an attack similar to those of the Pulse Nightclub mass-shooting in Orlando, the Bondi Beach mass-shooting in Australia, and the New Year's Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans.
He was planning to carry out the attack on October 24.
On Tuesday, FBI agents arranged to sell to Mohamud, through an undercover FBI employee, an AK-47 assault rifle, four 30-round magazines, and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition. The FBI rendered the AK-47 rifle inert prior to the transaction. The FBI arrested Mohamud shortly after he paid about $600 cash for the arms and ammunition.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
