On Wednesday, we learned of the arrest of one Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, who has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly planning a mass shooting terror attack on Minneapolis's Mall of America. Mohamud was arrested following his purchase of an AK-pattern rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition; he now is facing charges of purchasing a firearm to commit a crime of terrorism in support of a designated foreign terrorist organization.

He reportedly planned to specifically target the Hmong Arts Celebration on October 24th.

A local area news outlet, KSTP, has more details.

According to an affidavit unsealed on Wednesday, FBI agents arrested 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud on Tuesday directly after he purchased an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition with the stated intent of carrying out a mass shooting.

The criminal complaint alleges Mohamud had messaged an informant for nearly two years, discussing his hatred of non-Muslims and his desire to align with an Islamic terror group. He floated the idea of joining al Qaeda and al Shabaab before deciding to lend his support to the Islamic State.

Mohamud repeatedly expressed his admiration for Islamic terrorist attacks, including the New Year’s Eve 2024 attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans; the 2017 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida; and the 2025 mass shooting during a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Mohamud would seem to be an equal-opportunity racist, as his intent was to target an Asian celebration. 

When the informant tried to talk Mohamud out of such an attack, he replied, “I am 100% committed [sic] to the cause of dying for the sake of Allah only.”

Messages indicated he planned to target the Hmong Arts Celebration at Mall of America on Oct. 24 because “it will be a lot of people.”

It's not clear how or when Mohamud came to be in the United States. It's not clear what his immigration status is at the moment. He was willing, according to the report, to purchase his weapon illegally; the actual purchase was from an undercover FBI agent. He claimed to the undercover agent that he was an "active member of ISIS" and that he had chosen his target, as he allegedly claimed, because the Mall of America was "owned by Jews."

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A CBS News report adds:

In the complaint, authorities say a "confidential human source" exchanged "hundreds of bi-directional messages through multiple social media and encrypted messaging applications" with Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud from December 2024 until Tuesday. In those exchanges, Mohamud allegedly "expressed his desire to travel to Somalia" to join al-Shabaab and "fight on its behalf and/or commit a mass casualty attack" in Minnesota.

The complaint says the FBI contacted Mohamud's parents in May 2025. His father allegedly said "he did not want to share any information pertaining to himself or his son" with agents and directed them to his attorney.

What's not clear is whether Mohamud is of Somali descent, although his location (Minneapolis) and his stated intent to travel to Somalia is a pretty good hint. Note also his father's refusal to speak to the FBI.

However Mohamud came to be radicalized, he was, and he was in the United States, either he or his parents brought in under lax immigration policies. He was and is an active supporter of the Islamic State, and was planning mass murder in their name. It's to our good fortune that the FBI caught him before he could act, but it raises some uncomfortable questions of who many of his ideological comrades are still out there, in Minnesota, or elsewhere in the United States. 

The one thing we can be sure of is this: They are here, amongst us. 

This is an ongoing story. We will bring you updates as events warrant.