A Minnesota counterterrorism arrest has been made after a man allegedly told an FBI informant he wanted to attack the Mall of America during a Hmong arts event. Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested at gunpoint while collecting an AK-47-style rifle, four magazines and about 200 rounds of ammunition, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Investigators say Mohamud arranged to buy the weapon for $600 at a meeting on Tuesday. The complaint, filed in St Paul, alleges that he knowingly received the firearm and ammunition intending that they be used to commit a felony and a federal crime of terrorism.
The FBI says a confidential human source exchanged hundreds of messages with Mohamud across social media and encrypted messaging services from December 2024 until Tuesday. In those conversations, he allegedly expressed a desire to travel to Somalia to join al-Shabaab, fight on its behalf or carry out a mass-casualty attack in Minnesota.
According to the court documents, Mohamud said in July that he could not afford to travel to Somalia and would instead attack in the United States. He allegedly said he would not be acting “for any worldly matter” but “for the sake of Allah only”.
He later discussed targeting the Mall of America in Bloomington or Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee around Christmas. The affidavit says he considered buying two pistols online and described the shopping centre as a target “because it’s owned by Jewish”.
Last month, Mohamud allegedly told the source he wanted to attack the mall during the Hmong Arts Celebration on October 24, saying: “It will be a lot of people.” In another message, he reportedly referred to video of the 2016 attack at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and wrote: “I just walk in and shoot.”
The complaint also alleges that he posted a video on Discord in which he pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Authorities say the rifle recovered after the arranged purchase was a Norinco AK-47, model Mac-90 Sporter, with 7.62×39-calibre live ammunition.
Mohamud’s father was contacted by the FBI in May 2025, the filing says. He allegedly declined to provide information about himself or his son and directed agents to his lawyer.
Minnesota US Attorney Daniel Rosen and FBI special agent in charge Christopher Dotson were due to hold a news conference on Wednesday about what was described as a “significant counterterrorism law enforcement action”. The source material does not state whether that announcement concerns Mohamud’s case.
