Man eyed Mall of America for attack, pledged allegiance to ISIS, FBI says

THIS ONE MADE ME PUT MY PHONE DOWN BECAUSE IT IS JUST A LOT. SO THIS 18-YEAR-OLD FROM THE TWIN CITIES, SHEIKHDOON ABDULLAHI MOHAMUD, WAS APPARENTLY PLANNING TO ATTACK THE MALL OF AMERICA LATER THIS MONTH. THE FBI SAYS THEY CAUGHT HIM AT GUNPOINT IN RICHFIELD ON TUESDAY RIGHT WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO BUY AN ASSAULT RIFLE. HE HAD BEEN TALKING TO AN INFORMANT FOR AGES, SENDING HUNDREDS OF ENCRYPTED MESSAGES SINCE LATE 2024. HE ALLEGEDLY TALKED ABOUT PLEDGING ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS AND EVEN WANTED TO GO TO SOMALIA TO FIGHT FOR AL-SHABAAB, BUT INSTEAD HE WAS PLOTTING A MASS CASUALTY ATTACK HERE IN MINNESOTA. THE U.S. ATTORNEY SAYS HE INTENDED TO KILL UP TO 60 PEOPLE, BUT FEDS DISRUPTED THE WHOLE THING BEFORE ANYONE GOT HURT.

OK THE SHORT VERSION IS THIS: AN 18-YEAR-OLD NAMED SHEIKHDOON ABDULLAHI MOHAMUD IS IN CUSTODY AFTER THE FBI ARRESTED HIM AT GUNPOINT ON TUESDAY IN RICHFIELD, MINNESOTA. OFFICIALS SAY HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF BUYING AN ASSAULT RIFLE FOR A PLANNED ATTACK ON THE MALL OF AMERICA. A FEDERAL COMPLAINT CLAIMS HE HAD BEEN CHATTING WITH A CONFIDENTIAL SOURCE FOR NEARLY A YEAR, EXPRESSING INTEREST IN JOINING AL-SHABAAB IN SOMALIA OR COMMITTING A MASS ATTACK LOCALLY. HE ALLEGEDLY PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS DURING THESE ENCRYPTED MESSAGES. THE U.S. ATTORNEY DANIEL ROSEN AND THE FBI STATED THAT THEY DETECTED THE THREAT AND INTERVENED BEFORE HE COULD CARRY OUT HIS STATED INTENTION TO KILL BETWEEN 30 AND 60 PEOPLE.

An 18-year-old Twin Cities man was arrested at gunpoint while allegedly attempting to buy an assault rifle for a planned mass casualty attack at the Mall of America.

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