Photo Credit: FBI / Court document image / Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud
(RICHFIELD, Minn.) -- Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, was arrested in Richfield, Minn., on October 6, for planning a mass attack on the Mall of America.
The arrest comes after FBI agents set up a sting operation involving an undercover agent posing as a member of ISIS to catch him purchasing an AK-47 and 200 rounds of ammunition. Once the $600 purchase was completed, the arrest took place.
Mohamud had planned to attack the mall on October 24 during the Hmong Arts Celebration, with the intent of specifically targeting any non-muslims. He has been monitored since 2024, when he told an FBI confidential informant that he wanted to join extremist groups overseas. The FBI attempted to alert his parents to his radicalization in May of 2025, but they refused to believe it was an issue.
According to FBI court documents, Mohamud exchanged hundreds of messages via several apps, expressing his desire to join a terrorist organization in Somalia. He then made it clear multiple times that should he not be able to travel to Somalia, he planned to carry out a mass-casualty event in Minnesota.
In July, his discussions shifted to attacking the Mall of America and potentially targeting 30-60 people. Mohamud intended to recruit others to join him in attacking the mall, which he allegedly claimed was ‘owned by Jews’. By September, he had expressed a desire to kill a non-Muslim person.
He identified the Hmong Arts Celebration on October 24 as his date of attack, stating there would be numerous Asians and other non-Muslim people celebrating at the mall.
Photo Credit: X / FBI Director Kash Patel Official / Statement regarding thwarted attack
FBI Director Kash Patel praised the FBI for its efficiency in stopping the attack, saying, “We will continue to use every resource we have to prevent acts of terrorism and wipe out their networks all over the country. Thank you to [the] Minneapolis FBI, who did an outstanding job in the investigation and likely saved lives.”
Mohamud appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright on October 7 and was represented by a public defender. He refused to comment publicly about the planned attack. He is charged with knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit a terrorist act.
Legal action is ongoing, and all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at kristin.h@lead4earth.org.
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