FBI arrests 18-year-old for alleged ISIS-inspired Mall of America shooting plot
Federal agents detained 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud in Minneapolis after he allegedly bought an AK-47 from an undercover informant to target the Mall of America.
An 18-year-old American of Somali heritage, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, was taken into custody by FBI agents in Minneapolis on October 6 after allegedly purchasing an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammo from an undercover operative posing as an ISIS member. Court filings reveal that Mohamud communicated extensively with a confidential informant, first seeking to travel to Somalia to join ISIS and then shifting to a plan to attack the Mall of America, citing its Jewish ownership as motivation.
He reportedly wrote messages pledging to die for Allah and expressing a willingness to kill non-Muslims. Special Agent Christopher Dotson described the texts as evidence of extremist intent. The arrest concludes a two-year probe by the FBI’s Countering Violent Extremism program, which has previously targeted Somali communities in Minnesota amid concerns over ISIS and al-Shabab links.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing FBI tactics in counter-terrorism and raises questions about entrapment and community surveillance.
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