Breaking: FBI Arrests Somali-American Allegedly Planning ISIS Attack in Minnesota

The FBI arrested a Somali man in Minnesota on Tuesday who allegedly planned to attack the Mall of America later this month.

CBS News, citing a criminal complaint, reported that 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud posted a video online pledging allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group in September.

Mohamud allegedly wanted to attack the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Oct. 24, during a Hmong Arts Celebration.

The FBI arrested him at gunpoint after he purchased an AK-47-style rifle from an agency source, CBS reported.

TERROR PLOT FOILED #BREAKING: Minnesota ISIS Sympathizer Arrested for Plotting Mass-Casualty Attack at Mall of America. Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud now facing federal charges for receiving a firearm and ammo to commit a crime of terrorism. @FOX9 https://t.co/yBH3FAMIUP

— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) October 7, 2026

Minnesota U.S. Attorney Dan Rosen said at a Wednesday news conference, “The complaint charges Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud with acquiring an AK-47 assault rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism, including attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”

“Federal law enforcement is standing up to their calling to protect us,” he added. “Here, because of their vigilance and diligence, they were able to detect a threat and disrupt it before the defendant carried out his intention to kill, in his words, maybe 30 to 60 people.”

🚨 U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Dan Rosen says the FBI has arrested and charged 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud for planning a mass casualty attack in support of ISIS at the Mall of America https://t.co/MyMZa6NMCo

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 7, 2026

Rosen identified Mohamud as an American citizen of Somali descent, according to The Associated Press.

CBS News reported, “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.”

But in July he informed the source that he did not have enough money to travel to Somalia, so he intended to perpetrate a mass casualty attack in the U.S. “for the sake of Allah only.”

“The complaint says Mohamud said he wanted to attack the Mall of America ‘because it’s owned by Jewish.’ He said he was inspired in part by last year’s deadly antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia,” according to CBS News.

Townhall’s Dustin Grage noted in a social media post that Tuesday’s arrest comes after Somali gang shootings in communities not far from the Mall of America.

🚨 BREAKING: The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office has a Somali man in custody who was plotting to commit a mass casualty event at the Mall of America.

This comes after two Somali gang shootings occurred in the neighboring city of Eden Prairie.

This is getting out of hand. https://t.co/TMX56R0UpK

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) October 7, 2026

KSTP-TV in St. Paul reported there have been three shooting incidents in recent days in what is believed to be Somali gang-related violence.

Fortunately, there were no deaths from the shootings and only minor injuries occurred.

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