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Federal officials announced Wednesday (October 7) that the FBI arrested an 18-year-old Minnesota man, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, for allegedly planning a mass shooting at the Mall of America in support of ISIS. According to the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, Dan Rosen, the alleged plot was foiled through an extensive undercover operation that spanned nearly two years.
As detailed in the criminal complaint, investigators began tracking Mohamud in December 2024 after he exchanged messages with a confidential source about his desire to join ISIS or al-Shabaab, both recognized as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States. If unable to travel overseas, Mohamud told the source he would instead carry out an attack on American soil, specifically targeting the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
By mid-2026, Mohamud had settled on October 24 as the date for his planned attack, choosing it because of a Hmong Arts Celebration event expected to draw large crowds. Court documents state that Mohamud recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS and referenced previous mass shootings in the United States as examples of the type of violence he intended to commit. Officials say his anger over a deadly shooting at a San Diego Islamic center earlier in the year played a role in his motivation.
On October 6, Mohamud met in person with an undercover FBI employee posing as an ISIS associate. He paid $600 in cash for an inoperable AK-47-style rifle, several magazines, and about 200 rounds of ammunition. He was arrested immediately after leaving the vehicle with the items. No attack occurred, and no one was injured during the investigation, which relied on covert surveillance and undercover communications. The firearm provided was rendered inoperable for safety reasons.
Mohamud is charged with knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition with the knowledge they would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism, as outlined in the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota. Federal authorities emphasized that these are accusations and Mohamud, like all defendants, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The U.S. Attorney, Dan Rosen, stated, "Federal law enforcement is standing up to their calling to protect us."