Federal prosecutors in Minneapolis announced a significant counterterrorism enforcement action following the arrest of Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud. Authorities allege that Mohamud knowingly received a firearm and ammunition with reason to believe they would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism, including providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Court documents filed in St. Paul show that Mohamud allegedly wrote in July 2026 about purchasing pistols online to carry out an attack at the Mall of America or Valleyfair around Christmas. Mohamud was apprehended at gunpoint by the FBI after exiting an undercover operative’s vehicle with a Norinco AK-47 assault rifle, four magazines, and approximately 200 live rounds of ammunition. An affidavit filed in federal court states that Mohamud pledged allegiance to ISIS in a video and told an FBI confidential source about his plans to execute a domestic attack. Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen and FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson scheduled a news conference to discuss the case. The investigation details a progression in Mohamud’s messaging, starting from general threats of violence in January 2025 texts where he mentioned targeting non-Muslims if he failed school, to exploring travel to Somalia by May 2026. By September, he reportedly referenced studying footage of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and expressed intent to replicate a similar attack. Investigators also recovered communications where Mohamud shared ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda videos and coordinated the acquisition of automatic weaponry.
Source: cbsnews.com
