Undercover sting in Richfield

Federal authorities arrested 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud on Tuesday in a public park parking lot in Richfield, Minnesota, northwest of the Mall of America. Mohamud, a United States citizen born to Somali parents, met with an undercover FBI agent whom he believed to be an operative of the Islamic State. During the meeting, Mohamud handed over $600 in cash to purchase an AK-47 assault rifle, four 30-round magazines, and 200 rounds of ammunition delivered in a duffel bag. Investigators recorded the entire transaction on audio and video. Mohamud told the undercover operative that he planned to delay returning home after receiving the weapons to ensure that his mother was not present. Federal agents moved in shortly after the exchange and took him into custody with the weapon and ammunition.

Investigation and ideological background

The arrest followed an investigation that began in December 2024, spanning nearly two years of surveillance. During that period, Mohamud exchanged hundreds of encrypted messages on platforms including Signal and TikTok with a confidential informant. Authorities reported that Mohamud initially planned to travel overseas to fight on behalf of al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based organization linked to al-Qaeda, or the Islamic State. After concluding that he lacked the financial resources to travel abroad, he shifted his focus toward an attack inside the United States. In electronic communications and a recorded selfie video, he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and its current leadership, describing himself to the undercover agent as an active member. He cited previous mass killings as models, including the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people, a January 2025 truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14, and a 2025 attack on a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Planned assault on cultural event

In July 2026, Mohamud communicated to the informant that he intended to target the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The retail complex features more than 500 stores, a theme park, and an aquarium, drawing approximately 32 million visitors every year. Mohamud chose the venue because he claimed its owners were Jewish and stated an intent to kill non-Muslim visitors. Court documents state that he selected 24 October 2026 for the shooting, coordinating the date with the mall's scheduled Hmong Arts Celebration. Mohamud told the informant that he aimed to kill between 30 and 60 people during the gathering.

Federal charges and court proceedings

Following his arrest, Mohamud made an initial court appearance on Wednesday before United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright in federal court in Minnesota. Federal prosecutors charged him with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition to commit an act of terrorism. At a press conference announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen detailed the law enforcement timeline.

“Because of their vigilance and diligence, they were able to detect a threat and disrupt it before the defendant carried out his intention to kill, in his words, 30 to 60 people.”

Judge Wright ordered Mohamud detained without bail until a formal detention hearing scheduled for 19 October 2026. Defense counsel assigned to Mohamud did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the initial appearance.