October 08, 2026
FBI foils ISIS-inspired plot to massacre shoppers at Mall of America
Headline card by The Night Desk
FBI foils ISIS-inspired plot to massacre shoppers at Mall of America
DEVELOPING — Federal agents say an 18-year-old Minnesota man was planning to turn the nation's largest mall into a killing field — and they stopped him in a parking lot, $600 cash in hand.
Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud of Richfield, Minnesota, was arrested Tuesday, October 6, after buying what he believed was a fully functional Norinco AK-47 assault rifle, four 30-round magazines, and about 200 rounds of ammunition from an FBI undercover employee. He paid $600. The rifle had been rendered inert. The moment he walked away from the car, agents moved in.
What the feds say he planned
According to the 23-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court, Mohamud told an undercover source he intended to kill 30 to 60 people at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota — the largest shopping center in the United States, with a theme park, an aquarium, and more than 500 stores.
He picked a date: October 24, during a Hmong arts celebration at the mall — chosen, investigators say, because large crowds of Asian attendees were expected.
Mohamud allegedly wrote that he targeted the mall because he claimed its owners were Jewish, and that he wanted to kill non-Muslims — writing that he wanted to "harm the jew just like the brothers in australia bondi beach harmed the jews," a reference to an ISIS-inspired shooting that killed 15 on a beach in Australia in December 2025. He also expressed admiration for the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando and the New Year's Day 2025 truck-and-shooting attack in New Orleans that killed 14.
"He allegedly sought martyrdom in carrying out his plans to murder innocent civilians." — FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson
Nearly two years on the radar
This was no snap decision. The FBI says its investigation began in December 2024, after Mohamud started sending concerning messages across Telegram, Signal, Discord, and TikTok. Over 21 months, he allegedly:
- Expressed a desire to travel to Somalia to fight for al-Shabaab or another foreign terrorist organization
- Wrote in March 2025 that he wanted to "get a gun here and just started killing a bunch of white ppl"
- Concluded in July 2026 that he couldn't afford to travel overseas — writing, "so I will do the attack here"
- Considered two pistols and a Christmas-season attack at the Mall of America or Valleyfair amusement park before settling on the October 24 mall plan
- Told the undercover source on September 29 that he was "yes i am 100% sure" about going through with it
Mohamud is a U.S.-born citizen whose parents are from Somalia. He turned 18 in April.
The warning nobody heeded
Here's the part that raises eyebrows: federal agents say they tried to warn his parents last year about his radicalization — and were rebuffed.
In 2025, FBI agents went to the family home, where Mohamud's mother said he was at school. They called his father, who said he did not wish to share information and would provide contact information for an attorney.
"I just want to say to parents all over Minnesota — for that matter all over America — if you hear from federal law enforcement that your son or daughter is being radicalized to the point where federal law enforcement wants to come and give you that warning, those are warnings that ought to be heeded." — U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen
Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges, standing beside Rosen at the news conference, was blunt: "It's time that we start teaching our young people that this is a great country, and we're not perfect, but this type of hatred for this country is something that I just don't understand. I'm not normally speechless, but this one I am."
What's next
Mohamud was charged with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism. He made his initial appearance Wednesday, October 7, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright, was appointed a federal defender, and was ordered held in custody ahead of an October 19 detention hearing.
A Mall of America spokesperson called the news "unsettling and concerning for our guests, tenants, team members and the broader community," saying the mall maintains "multiple layers of security, both visible and behind the scenes."
Source: CNN · Reuters · U.S. Department of Justice
Source: CNN / Reuters — read the original report
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