FBI Foils Alleged Mall of America Mass-Shooting Plot; 18-Year-Old Arrested After Buying Rifle From Undercover Agent

Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Federal prosecutors announced on October 7 that the FBI had arrested Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, of Richfield, Minnesota, on October 6, foiling an alleged mass-shooting plot targeting the Mall of America. According to the criminal complaint, Mohamud purchased an AK-47-style rifle, about 200 rounds of ammunition and four 30-round magazines for $600 from an undercover agent before being taken into custody. He was charged with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit a federal crime of terrorism, and appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge on October 7.

Prosecutors allege that in messages sent in July 2026, Mohamud discussed his intent to carry out a mass-casualty attack at the Mall of America in support of ISIS, saying he wanted to kill 30 to 60 people, and identified October 24 as the planned date because an arts event that day was expected to draw many Asian attendees and other shoppers. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said the defendant took substantial steps toward murdering innocent people in the name of ISIS, and FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau intervened in time to stop the plan.

The Mall of America, located in Bloomington near Minneapolis, is the largest shopping mall in the United States, with more than 500 stores, an indoor theme park and an aquarium, drawing tens of millions of visitors a year.

Source: USA Today, October 2026; U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: Tyler Vigen, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Latest in City

Anaheim Council Weighs E-Bike Rules as Crashes Climb From 2 to 38 in Two Years2026-11-03Riverside Holiday Maker's Market Set for December 5 With About 60 Local Vendors2026-11-03