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FBI charges 18-year-old over mall attack plot
An FBI sting led to charges over an alleged plan to attack Minnesota’s Mall of America.
What happened
Federal prosecutors charged Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud after the FBI arrested him in Richfield, Minnesota. Court records allege he bought a rifle and ammunition from an undercover employee for an ISIS-inspired attack on the Mall of America during a late-October event. No attack occurred.
Numbers
- 18 years oldAge of the accused — At the time of arrest.
- $600Price paid in FBI transaction — For rifle and ammunition.
- 30–60 peopleAlleged intended number of victims — Claim in criminal complaint.
Questions
- What federal charge was filed?
- Prosecutors charged him with knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit a federal terrorism crime.
- Why did investigators focus on him?
- The FBI began monitoring him after messages with a confidential source discussed travel to Somalia or an attack in the United States.
- Which event was named as target?
- Court records name a Hmong arts celebration at the mall as the intended setting, planned for late October.
- What scale did prosecutors allege?
- The complaint alleges he told a source he hoped to kill between thirty and sixty people, indicating the claimed potential impact.
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The catch
The charge alleges intent; no trial evidence or defense account is included in the coverage.
The case remains unresolved.