FBI Thwarts Mall of America Attack Plot with Arrest of Teenager
Authorities announced Wednesday the arrest of an 18-year-old accused of planning an attack on the Mall of America, an operation foiled when FBI agents provided him with an assault rifle.
The FBI has arrested an 18-year-old in Minnesota on suspicion of plotting a terror attack at the Mall of America, according to federal authorities. The teenager, identified as Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, was taken into custody Tuesday in a public park after allegedly purchasing an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover FBI employee.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen stated that Mohamud had been under investigation for nearly two years. During this period, he communicated with a confidential informant and expressed intentions to carry out an attack targeting non-Muslims, as detailed in a federal complaint. Agents supplied Mohamud with the assault rifle and ammunition as part of the sting operation, ultimately leading to his arrest.
Authorities described Mohamud's payment of $600 for the firearm and ammunition to the undercover operative, who was posing as a member of ISIS. The complaint indicates Mohamud repeatedly affirmed his intent to commit violence in text messages exchanged with the FBI source. It was not immediately clear if Mohamud has legal representation.