FBI agents arrested Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud in Minneapolis on Tuesday after an undercover agent sold him an AK‑47, four 30‑round magazines and about 200 rounds of ammunition for $600. The transaction took place in a basement of a residential apartment, according to the complaint. Police seized the weapon and ammo before the suspect could leave the building.
Mohamud, who is 18, told the informant he planned to kill 30 to 60 people at the Mall of America on October 24, the date of a Hmong Arts Celebration, because he believed the mall’s owners were Jewish. He also expressed a desire to fight for al‑Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and later said he wanted to join ISIS. The complainant notes he praised the January 1, 2025 truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14, before the attacker was killed by police.
The suspect was charged with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit an act of terrorism. His lawyer has not yet responded to a request for comment. The case is being handled by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Terrorism and Violent Crime Division.
Mohamud made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright on Wednesday. The judge will determine whether the defendant faces further pre‑trial restrictions and the next hearing is set for May 15.