Man Arrested Over Alleged ISIS Mall Plot

Federal authorities on Tuesday arrested Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, of Richfield, Minnesota, after he paid an undercover FBI employee for an AK-47-style rifle, four magazines and about 200 rounds of ammunition. Officials say he believed the seller was a loyal ISIS member and planned an Oct. 24 attack during the Hmong Arts Celebration at the Mall of America. The rifle had been disabled; the ammunition was live. He faces a federal charge of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition believing they would be used in a crime of terrorism. The allegations have not been proven in court.

An affidavit says that in September Mohamud told a confidential source, "I can't wait until I kill kuffar man. October 24 is the day insha Allah," and sent a selfie-style video pledging allegiance to ISIS. FBI Minneapolis special agent in charge Christopher Dotson said Mohamud planned to use the gun in a high-traffic public area in support of a designated foreign terrorist organization. FBI Director Kash Patel said agents stopped his plans and credited FBI Minneapolis. The FBI had been in contact since around December 2024; Mohamud had discussed joining al-Shabaab before shifting to an attack in Minnesota. Some sources report he paid $600; newsfinale reports $800. He left the vehicle with the weapon in a duffel bag and was arrested at gunpoint several miles from the mall.

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