FBI arrests alleged Islamic State supporter accused of plotting Mall of America attack

On October 6, the FBI arrested Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18, of Richfield, Minnesota, near his residence after he bought an AK-47-style rifle, magazines, and ammunition from an undercover FBI employee, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court. Mohamud, an American citizen of Somali descent, who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, allegedly intended to conduct a mass shooting at the Mall of America in Bloomington. “Mohamud allegedly sought to carry out a mass-casualty shooting at the Mall of America, expressing a desire to emulate some of the most horrific ISIS-inspired attacks in the United States, including the atrocities at Pulse Nightclub and 2025 New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. On October 7, Mohamud was charged with one count of “knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism.” According to court documents, in December 2024, an FBI source began exchanging messages with Mohamud across Telegram, Signal, Discord, and TikTok. During these initial exchanges, Mohamud reportedly said that he intended to travel overseas to fight for Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa. He said that if he couldn’t travel overseas, he intended to carry out a mass-casualty event in Minnesota in support of a foreign terrorist organization. A month later, Mohamud praised Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran who conducted a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on January 1, 2025, killing 14 Americans. Mohamud called him a “real muslim (sic).” In a subsequent conversation in March, Mohamud reportedly indicated that he wanted to go to Somalia but was willing to kill white people in America if he couldn’t travel abroad. According to the affidavit, throughout 2026, the FBI source and Mohamud continued to exchange messages through different platforms. Mohamud sent Shabaab propaganda to the informant and discussed saving money to travel overseas, specifically to Somalia, stating he would describe the trip as a vacation and not return. Court documents say that in July 2026, Mohamud stated that because he was unable to travel abroad, he was thinking about attacking the Mall of America “because its owned by jewish (sic),” and that “I want to harm the jew just like the brothers in australia bondi beach harmed the jews.” He indicated that he wanted to kill 30–60 people. In August and September 2026, Mohamud made plans to purchase a firearm and recruit others to commit the terrorist attack. He also sent a video of himself pledging allegiance to Islamic State emir Abu Hafs al Hashimi al Qurashi. Mohamud discussed copying the Pulse nightclub shooting in his planned attack. The affidavit states that Mohamud selected October 24 for the attack, identifying a Hmong Arts Celebration at the Mall of America because it would attract “a lot of people.” Mohamud and the source eventually arranged a meeting with the supposed gun seller on October 6. On October 6, Mohamud paid $600 to an undercover FBI agent for an AK-47-style rifle, four 30-round magazines, and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition. He reiterated his intention to attack the Mall of America because Jews owned it. After Mohamud purchased the weapon and ammunition, he was arrested by the FBI. Mohamud’s arrest marks the seventh Islamic State-linked terrorism case or incident in the United States this year, and the third Islamic State-linked arrest in the past two months. Will Selber is a retired US CENTCOM foreign area officer with over 4 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the owner of Grumpy Combat Veteran on Substack.