Federal authorities arrested 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud in Richfield, Minnesota, on Tuesday after an undercover FBI operation thwarted an alleged ISIS-inspired mass shooting plot targeting the Mall of America. Prosecutors said the U.S. citizen planned to kill between 30 and 60 people using an AK-47.
Federal Agents Arrest Teen in Richfield Park
Federal law enforcement agents stopped a potential terrorist attack on the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, arresting 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud at a public park in Richfield following a two-year investigation led by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office.
Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen and FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson announced the charges during a joint news conference. Prosecutors charged Mohamud with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition while knowing or having reasonable cause to believe the items would be used to commit a felony and a federal crime of terrorism.
Investigators stated that Mohamud paid an undercover FBI employee posing as an ISIS member $600 cash for a Chinese-made Norinco AK-47 assault rifle, four 30-round capacity magazines, and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition. Agents arrested him at gunpoint as he exited a vehicle with the weapons in a duffel bag.
Special Agent Keegan Rupenthal filed the affidavit detailing how the investigation evolved over nearly two years since beginning in December 2024.
During this timeframe, the suspect lived with his mother in Minnesota and attended school for part of the period while communicating online with a confidential human source across multiple platforms including TikTok and Discord.
Suspect Pledges Allegiance on Encrypted Apps
Court documents outline nearly two years of online communication between Mohamud and an FBI confidential informant, beginning in December 2024. Investigators stated that Mohamud initially expressed a desire to travel overseas to Somalia to join a designated foreign terrorist organization, such as al-Shabaab or al-Qaeda, to fight on its behalf.
By July, Mohamud concluded he could not afford travel to Somalia and wrote that he would execute the assault domestically instead, noting he would prepare directly within the United States. In September, he sent a selfie-style video to the source pledging allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, explaining he wanted to ensure people understood his motivations if he carried out the strike. Prosecutors detailed numerous messages sent via TikTok, Telegram, and Signal.
I can’t wait until I kill kuffar man.
Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, via Fox News
According to the criminal complaint, Mohamud stated he wanted to target non-Muslims and specifically identified the Hmong Arts Celebration scheduled for October 24 at the Mall of America because it would attract large crowds.
Suspect Studies Past Mass Casualty Events
Federal officials stated that Mohamud explicitly selected the shopping center because of its ownership. In messages recovered by investigators, he wrote that he wanted to harm the Jewish community, telling the source that the mall is owned by Jewish people and expressing anger over the treatment of Muslims following a San Diego attack.
The affidavit revealed that Mohamud studied previous mass casualty events while planning his attack. He reviewed footage from the June 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, a 2025 New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, and a December 2025 mass shooting in Bondi Beach, Australia. Prosecutors noted he calculated that a rifle attack would yield 30 to 60 fatalities, noting that using explosives would be too complicated.
During the multi-year investigation, FBI agents attempted to intervene early. In May 2025, agents visited Mohamud’s family home while he was at school and spoke with his parents. U.S. Attorney Rosen noted that investigators do not believe Mohamud’s parents understood the extent of his radicalization.
Federal Court Schedules Preliminary Hearing
During his initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul, Mohamud responded to the judge’s questions by stating he understood the charges against him, had no job, no car, and no money.
A preliminary and detention hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. on October 19. The prosecution team includes National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Ryan White and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar.
Federal and local officials emphasized the collaborative nature of the operation. Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges expressed gratitude that law enforcement intervened before a catastrophe occurred, while Mall of America representatives confirmed the shopping center maintains multiple layers of security and cooperates closely with law enforcement partners.
How did an 18-year-old operating online since December 2024 advance from discussing travel to Somalia to acquiring an AK-47 without triggering an earlier arrest by federal authorities?