The FBI has arrested an 18-year-old Minnesota man on terrorism charges, accusing him of plotting a mass shooting at the Mall of America in support of ISIS, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.
Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud of Richfield was taken into custody on October 6 and charged by federal complaint with knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit a federal crime of terrorism. The charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The alleged plan
According to the complaint, Mohamud began exchanging messages with a confidential source around December 2024, writing that if he could not travel to Somalia to fight for a designated foreign terrorist organization, he would instead carry out a mass-casualty attack in Minnesota in support of ISIS.
In July 2026 messages, he allegedly said he wanted to shoot people at the Mall of America, claiming that killing between 30 and 60 people would mean "no one would go there" anymore. In September 2026, he set October 24 as the attack date and shared a link to a "Hmong Arts Celebration" event at the mall, indicating, per the complaint, that he intended to target Asians and other non-Muslims at the gathering. He also sent a selfie-style video pledging allegiance to ISIS and discussed copying the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Bondi Beach attack in Australia, and the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans.
The arrest
The FBI arrested him on October 6 shortly after he paid about $600 in cash to an undercover FBI employee for an AK-47 rifle that the bureau had rendered inert, along with four 30-round magazines and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition.
Mohamud made his initial court appearance on October 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department's National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota following an investigation by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Bloomington Police, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau stopped the alleged plot before Mohamud could carry out an attack. FBI Minneapolis chief Christopher Dotson said the FBI had tried to meet with Mohamud's parents last year but the request was declined. No statement from Mohamud's counsel has been reported.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice — "Man Arrested and Charged for Role in Plotting to Conduct a Mass-Shooting Event in Support of ISIS at the Mall of America"; New York Post — "Somali immigrant charged with plotting antisemitic terror attack on Mall of America"; Arab News — "US teen charged over alleged Daesh-inspired mall shooting plot"
Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud of Richfield was taken into custody on October 6 and charged by federal complaint with knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit a federal crime of terrorism. The charges are allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The alleged plan
According to the complaint, Mohamud began exchanging messages with a confidential source around December 2024, writing that if he could not travel to Somalia to fight for a designated foreign terrorist organization, he would instead carry out a mass-casualty attack in Minnesota in support of ISIS.
In July 2026 messages, he allegedly said he wanted to shoot people at the Mall of America, claiming that killing between 30 and 60 people would mean "no one would go there" anymore. In September 2026, he set October 24 as the attack date and shared a link to a "Hmong Arts Celebration" event at the mall, indicating, per the complaint, that he intended to target Asians and other non-Muslims at the gathering. He also sent a selfie-style video pledging allegiance to ISIS and discussed copying the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Bondi Beach attack in Australia, and the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans.
The arrest
The FBI arrested him on October 6 shortly after he paid about $600 in cash to an undercover FBI employee for an AK-47 rifle that the bureau had rendered inert, along with four 30-round magazines and roughly 200 rounds of ammunition.
Mohamud made his initial court appearance on October 7 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department's National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota following an investigation by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Bloomington Police, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau stopped the alleged plot before Mohamud could carry out an attack. FBI Minneapolis chief Christopher Dotson said the FBI had tried to meet with Mohamud's parents last year but the request was declined. No statement from Mohamud's counsel has been reported.
Sources: U.S. Department of Justice — "Man Arrested and Charged for Role in Plotting to Conduct a Mass-Shooting Event in Support of ISIS at the Mall of America"; New York Post — "Somali immigrant charged with plotting antisemitic terror attack on Mall of America"; Arab News — "US teen charged over alleged Daesh-inspired mall shooting plot"
