FBI agents sold 18‑year‑old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud an AK‑47 and 200 rounds for $600, then arrested him in Richfield’s Pine Grove Park on Tuesday.
Mohamud had been monitored since December 2024 after a confidential informant began exchanging messages that revealed a plan to kill 30‑60 people at the Mall of America on Oct. 24 during a Hmong arts celebration.
US Attorney Daniel Rosen said the case demonstrated ‘radicalized young men who need close watch’ and lauded the FBI’s ability to ‘detect a threat and disrupt it before it was carried out.’
The teen, an American citizen of Somali descent, had previously expressed admiration for recent terrorist attacks and an intention to travel to Somalia to join ISIS, but financial constraints led him to target the mall instead.
The FBI will file terrorism charges against Mohamud, and prosecutors are preparing a preliminary hearing scheduled for next month, while local law‑enforcement agencies review their readiness for future threats.
The case underscores the growing presence of Somali refugees in Minnesota and the ongoing challenge of domestic radicalization, prompting officials to urge parents to heed federal warnings.