Federal authorities arrest an 18-year-old in Minnesota over an alleged ISIS-inspired mass-casualty plot targeting the Mall of America. Multiple outlets report the suspect, identified as Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, is charged after an FBI sting operation in which agents supplied or arranged the acquisition of a firearm and ammunition and obtained details about an alleged plan.
According to prosecutors and court filings described by several sources, Mohamud allegedly purchased an AK-47-style assault rifle and ammunition from an undercover agent and made statements pledging allegiance to ISIS. Outlets also say he indicated an intention to carry out an attack at or near a Mall of America event in October, with some accounts describing alleged plans to open fire in a crowded setting.
While the outlets vary in emphasis—some focusing on the length and nature of the sting operation, others on the alleged ISIS affiliation, and others on the firearm and ammunition acquisition—they largely agree on the core points: an arrest, federal terrorism-related charges, and allegations that the plot was thwarted before it could be carried out at the Minnesota mall.
