Federal authorities arrested 18-year-old U.S. citizen Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud in Richfield, Minnesota, thwarting an alleged terrorist plot to attack the Mall of America and the Hmong Arts Celebration on October 24. FOX 9 reported that the Twin Cities resident had been on the FBI’s radar since 2024 after communicating with a confidential informant and pledging allegiance to ISIS.
The Arrest in Richfield and the Rifle Transaction
Law enforcement intercepted Mohamud on Tuesday during an arranged meeting in the parking lot of a Richfield park. The arrest occurred at gunpoint as the suspect attempted to buy an assault rifle. According to federal court documents filed Wednesday, Mohamud had just left an undercover employee’s vehicle carrying a Norinco AK-47 assault rifle, model Mac-90 Sporter, along with four magazines and approximately 200 live rounds of 7.62×39-caliber ammunition. Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen and FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dotson detailed the operation during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Rosen praised the investigative team for detecting and disrupting the threat before the suspect could carry out his intention to kill between 30 and 60 people. Investigators stated that Mohamud engaged in hundreds of bi-directional messages through multiple social media and encrypted messaging applications with a confidential human source from December 2024 until the day of his arrest. During these exchanges, Mohamud initially expressed a desire to travel to Somalia to join al-Shabaab before shifting his focus to domestic violence.
Mohamud Targets Domestic Sites for Attack
By July, Mohamud told the informant that he lacked sufficient funds to travel to Somalia and decided to execute an attack domestically “for the sake of Allah only,” court filings show. He initially weighed options including the Mall of America in Bloomington and the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee. The suspect indicated he drew inspiration in part from the previous year’s antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, and studied videos of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.
Federal officials revealed that the FBI had attempted to intervene months prior. In May 2025, agents contacted Mohamud’s parents after observing his radicalization, but those outreach attempts were rebuffed. Rosen issued a direct appeal during the press conference, urging families across the country to heed warnings from federal law enforcement if notified that a relative is showing signs of radicalization.
Targeting the Hmong Arts Celebration
Mohamud zeroed in on October 24 as the date for the attack, noting that a large crowd would gather at the mall for the Hmong Arts Celebration. When the confidential informant asked why he chose that specific day, Mohamud replied via messaging app that it would feature “a bunch of Asians, Chinese, Vietnamese and other non-believers celebrating,” according to federal prosecutors. He also selected the Bloomington shopping complex because it is owned by a Jewish family.
The targeted event, now in its second year, is a family-focused cultural festival designed to unite people through Hmong arts and heritage. Event organizer Lue Thao released a statement describing the news as heartbreaking and emotional while expressing gratitude to the FBI, local law enforcement, and the Mall of America security team for their prompt coordination and prevention of a potential tragedy.
| Incident Detail | Recorded Fact |
|---|---|
| Suspect | Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, 18 |
| Location of Arrest | Richfield, Minnesota |
| Targeted Date | October 24 |
| Primary Targets | Mall of America and Hmong Arts Celebration |
| Recovered Weapon | Norinco AK-47 (Mac-90 Sporter) with 200 rounds |
Mall of America officials reiterated that safety and security remain the highest priority, noting that the property maintains multiple visible and behind-the-scenes layers of security in close partnership with local, state, and federal agencies.
