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FBI says it thwarted terrorist attack in Minnesota by an 18-year-old it supplied with an AK-47
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- FBI officials thwarted a potential terrorist attack at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, arresting 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud on charges of obtaining a firearm to carry out terrorism.
- Mohamud had been under FBI investigation for nearly two years and was arrested after purchasing an AK-47 and ammunition from an undercover agent posing as an Islamic State member.
- Messages revealed Mohamud’s intent to join terrorist groups overseas, which shifted to planning an attack in Minnesota after those plans failed, with statements indicating a desire to kill multiple people.
- Mohamud was captured after robbing a store at gunpoint inside the mall, and authorities emphasized the importance of monitoring him to prevent the planned mass shooting.
- The incident follows recent shootings involving Somali teens in Minnesota, prompting calls from law enforcement for a regional taskforce to better address terrorism and violence in the state.
