Islam in America > FBI arrest 18 y/o ISIS would-be massacrer for Mall of America plot

 

FBI arrests man, 18, in alleged Mall of America mass shooting plot for ISIS

By Katie Scott Global News

Posted October 8, 2026 7:52 am

4 min read

FBI agents arrested an 18-year-old man accused of plotting a terror attack on the Mall of America after monitoring him for nearly two years and supplying him with the AK-47 he planned to use, authorities said Wednesday.

The 18-year-old, identified as Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, of Richfield, Minn., had been on the FBI’s radar since December 2024, when he began trading hundreds of messages with a confidential informant through multiple social media and messaging applications, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint alleges that Mohamud said he initially expressed an interest in travelling to Somalia to fight for designated foreign terrorist organization al-Shabab militants.

As his plans to attack the mall solidified, the complaint says, agents sold him the gun and ammunition on Tuesday and arrested him on the spot after he paid US$600 to the undercover FBI employee posing as a member of the Islamic State group for the rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition.

Mohamud was charged by complaint with one count of knowingly receiving a firearm and ammunition in order to commit a federal crime of terrorism, U.S. Office of Public Affairs announced on Wednesday.

“This individual allegedly obtained a weapon he hoped to use in a mass casualty attack in support of ISIS, but this FBI arrested him and put a stop to his plans,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.

“Once again this FBI is moving more effectively than we ever have before at stopping terrorists before they can attack Americans – with over 1,100 individuals prevented from conducting attacks, over 4,000 foreign terrorist organization related disruptions and arrests, a 38% increase, and more,” Patel added.

“We will continue to use every resource we have to detect and prevent acts of terrorism and wipe out their networks all over the country,” Patel continued, adding, “Thank you to FBI Minneapolis who did an outstanding job in the investigation and likely saved lives.”

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said that Mohamud allegedly sought to carry out a “mass-casualty shooting at the Mall of America, expressing a desire to emulate some of the most horrific ISIS-inspired attacks in the United States, including the atrocities at Pulse Nightclub and 2025 New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans.”

“The National Security Division will continue to work closely with the FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force to track down and prosecute ISIS-inspired terrorists in the United States,” Eisenberg added.

According to the complaint, Mohamud allegedly stated many times that if he was unable to travel overseas because of a lack of funds, he planned to carry out a mass casualty event in Minnesota in support of ISIS on Oct. 24, the date of a scheduled arts celebration by the Hmong community, Minnesota’s largest Asian ethnic group.

“In July 2026, Mohamud sent messages discussing his intent to carry out a mass-casualty shooting attack at the Mall of America because he claimed it was owned by Jews. He wrote that wanted to kill 30 to 60 people so no one would go there,” the U.S. Office of Public Affairs said.

In August and September 2026, Mohamud continued to send messages discussing his intentions, including his plans to allegedly purchase a firearm and to recruit others to join him in committing the attack. Mohamud sent a selfie-style video of himself pledging allegiance to ISIS, according to the complaint, which included a screenshot of Mohamud’s video.

2:20FBI believe New Orleans attacker acted alone despite ISIS connection

When the informant asked if he was serious about committing the attack, Mohamud replied, “yes i am 100% sure,” the complaint said, and added: “I would have backed out by now if I wasn’t sure.”

During the sale of the firearm and ammunition, Mohamud “reaffirmed his plan to use the firearm and ammunition to shoot people at the Mall of America,” according to the complaint.

“As alleged in the criminal complaint, Mohamud took substantial steps to plot to murder innocent people in the name of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “Such threats are taken seriously, and I commend the committed public servants of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI, and my office, who work every day to stop them.”

Mohamud made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright on Oct. 7.

He told the judge he did not have a job, own a house or a car or have any money in the bank. He was represented by Siri Carlson McDowell, a federal public defender.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar for the District of Minnesota.

—With files from The Associated Press

This Week's Islamic Massacres > 28 human skulls found and 87 people kidnapped in hapless, hopeless Nigeria

 

Dozens of human skulls found in Nigerian forests

Suspects in the case fled during raids on criminal camps in Abia State, police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka has said

Published 29 Sep, 2026 10:39 | Updated 29 Sep, 2026 13:25

©  Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images

At least 28 skulls of suspected kidnap victims have been recovered from outlaw forest hideouts in southeastern Nigeria, the African nation’s law enforcement authorities have reported.

Police found the skulls and other bones during raids on Saturday in the Umuaku and Nneato forests of Abia State. The suspects fled before officers could arrest them, police spokesperson Maureen Chinaka said.

“The criminal camps were subsequently dismantled. Investigation is ongoing, while monitoring of the area continues, and efforts are intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspects,” Chinaka said in a statement.

The remains were found during a weekend of mass abductions elsewhere in Africa’s most populous nation. Armed men seized at least 47 farmers harvesting peanuts in Niger State on Saturday, while about 40 women were kidnapped in neighboring Zamfara on Sunday, AFP reported, citing security reports and a local source. The Nigerian Army said it foiled two other abduction attempts in Zamfara on Sunday and rescued 10 people.

Nigeria has faced a security crisis for more than a decade, marked by kidnappings by jihadist groups and armed gangs. Boko Haram, its Islamic State-linked offshoot Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Ansaru have abducted civilians, while gangs locally known as bandits seize people for ransom, particularly in the northwest and north-central regions. Security consultancy SBM Intelligence recorded 7,825 people abducted nationwide between July 2025 and June 2026, a 66% rise on the previous year.

READ MORE: Western intervention worsened Nigeria and Sahel security crisis – senator

The police raids in Abia took place in Umunneochi district, where gunmen have targeted travelers and residents for years. The state government ordered more checkpoints and told people living in the forests to leave after the kidnapping of Methodist Church leader Samuel Kanu-Uche there in 2022.

A local archbishop described Umunneochi at the time as a “money making center for kidnappers.” 

The violence has continued despite a nationwide security emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu, the recruitment of more police personnel and forest guards, and increased security cooperation with the US.

Read more

The illusion of stability: Why foreign airstrikes can’t stop the terror

Around 200 American troops were deployed to Nigeria in February to support counterterrorism operations. Most have since withdrawn, and Nigeria said the main force was expected to leave by the end of September, with a smaller advisory team remaining.

US Africa Command called the mission a success, saying a joint operation killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and other senior Islamic State figures and disrupted the group’s wider network. Nigerian opposition politician Samuel Memeh disagreed, telling RT the deployment “has not yielded significant improvements” in security.

© RT / RT

This Week's Islamic Massacres > Pakistan suicide bomber and gunfight kill 31; 37 Nigerian prisoners die in overcrowded cell

 

Pakistan police complex attack kills 31, injures over 100 as gunfight continues

Militants storm Kohat police HQ as deadly siege drags into second day

Last updated: September 19, 2026 | 11:38

AFP

2 MIN READ

Army personnel stand amid the rubble following an explosion inside the police headquarters at Kohat in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on September 18, 2026.

AFP

Kohat: The death toll from an explosion and gun attack at a police headquarters in northern Pakistan rose to at least 31, including 16 police personnel, a senior police official told AFP on Saturday, with fighting ongoing.

Attackers stormed the Old Police Lines complex at Kohat, a town of around 220,000 people in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, on Friday afternoon.

The police compound serves as a district-level police headquarters, housing key offices of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Special Branch and several other police units.

"At least 31 people, including 16 police personnel, have been killed and more than 100 injured so far in the militant attack and suicide bombing," the official said.

"Several militants are still holed up in the Special Branch section of the Kohat Police Complex," the police official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

An exchange of fire with them has been ongoing since late last night. Their exact number remains unclear," the official added. 

Also Read:

11 security personnel, 12 militants killed after attack on checkpost in Pakistan’s Bajaur

A statement from the Kohat district health officer late on Friday said that more than 100 people had been injured, the vast majority of them police personnel, and several were in a critical condition. 

Local militant group Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen Pakistan, a faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- the Pakistani Taliban -- has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Rubble, blown-out walls

AFP images showed military personnel standing by piles of bricks, rubble and blown-out walls following the attack, with soldiers carrying assault rifles guarding the complex.

Several ambulances were seen lining a street near the police compound.

Pakistan has blamed the increase in attacks in KP and the southern border province of Balochistan on militancy emanating from Afghanistan, where the Taliban government denies Afghan involvement. 

The accusations have sparked a bitter rift and armed conflict between the neighbouring countries, and Pakistan has carried out deadly airstrikes it says target militants on Afghan soil.

Also Read:

Pakistan car bomb attack: At least 15 killed, three injured in police checkpoint assault

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack on Friday evening, expressing "deep sorrow and regret over the injury of several people as a result of the blast". 

He directed the "best medical assistance be provided to the injured" and called for a report into the attack.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed "regret" over the casualties, sending his "best wishes for the speedy recovery of those injured in the blast".

"The complete elimination of Fitna-al-Khawarij and terrorists operating with foreign backing is essential for national security," he said, using another term for the TTP group.

Earlier story:

Car bomb attack near mosque in Pakistan kills 21, injures 100

By Pedro Oliveira Jr.

An injured man receives medical treatment at Lady Reading Government Hospital following a suicide bomb blast at a mosque in Kohat district, Peshawar, Pakistan. At least 21 people, including 15 police officials, were killed, and more than 100 injured. Photo by Arshad Arbab/EPA

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- At least 21 people were killed and more than 100 injured Friday when a car carrying explosives detonated near a mosque in a police compound in Pakistan.

Following the explosion, police in Kohat said, at least seven "terrorists" stormed the compound and exchanged gunfire with officers, Dawn reported.

Six of the attackers, which included a suicide bomber, were killed in the initial gunfight. The last attacker was cornered by police and killed later.

Among the dead were 15 police officers and a 4-year-old child.

Local reporters said the attack was claimed by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban that supports a strict version of Islamic law.

"The nation's morale cannot be dampened by cowardly acts of terrorism," Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told reporters.

President Asif Ali Zardari called for the "complete elimination" of the terrorist group, and expressed "his best wishes for the swift recovery of those injured in the explosion."

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed grief in a statement on X.

"The nation is standing with the families of the martyrs in this moment of grief," he said.

Read More

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37 Nigerians suspected of illegal mining die in custody

By Lisa Hornung

Family members stand outside the General Hospital to claim the bodies of their relatives in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria, Friday. Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has confirmed that 37 suspected illegal miners died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps. Photo by stringer/EPA

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Thirty-seven people detained in Nigeria for alleged illegal mining died while in custody Thursday, provoking protests after survivors say they were crammed into a cell with little to no air.

The men were found dead in their cell in a jail in Niger state in the northwestern part of Nigeria, near Benin.

The victims' bodies were taken to the state capital Minna to be examined.

The agency that detained them, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, at first blamed the deaths on "a suspected disease," The New York Times reported. But a survivor said that there were more than 60 people in a single cell with very little ventilation, food or water.

"We kept banging on the door," Dauda Shehu, 38, said in a phone interview with The Times from a hospital.

Shehu said he was lucky to be close to the cell door, where there was a tiny opening for air.

"When people started dying, we kept calling out to them, but they did not listen," Shehu said of the authorities. Some of those who died were denied water, so they drank their own urine, he said.

A family member whose 17-year-old brother was among the dead, asked how a disease could have killed so many detainees without affecting the guards, the BBC reported.

The father of a victim said relatives went to the NSCDC office trying to get their family member released, but were repeatedly told to return later.

"Unfortunately, the following day we got the news that our children had died," he told the BBC.

The men's deaths ignited ire in the area, triggering protests. Hundreds of protesters were in the streets of Minna, where the miners had been arrested. Police responded with gunfire and tear gas, and some protesters rioted and burned a government building, witnesses told The Times.

The incident was under investigation, said Mohammed Umar Bago, governor of the state. He said several officials were suspended and urged the protesters to remain calm. Bago declared three days of mourning and postponed the start of campaigning for elections, which are scheduled for January.

The men had been detained for illegal mining, which is common in parts of Africa. Many of the mines are managed by criminal and armed groups or by far away companies that exploit the miners.

Read More

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• Costa Rica investigates alleged massive data exposure on dark web
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This Week's Islamic Massacres > 72 more Christians slaughtered in the DRC; Seven more killed in Mambasa region of the DRC

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Muslims murder at least 72 Christians, burn down 40 homes

Sep 13, 2026 12:00 pm By Robert Spencer9 Comments

Here as in Nigeria and elsewhere, the idea is to maximize the terror that the victims feel, in accord with the Qur’anic command: “Make ready for them all that you can of force and of warhorses, so that by them you may strike terror in the enemy of Allah and your enemy…” (Qur’an 8:60)

The jihadis burn down the Christians’ homes so that even those who survive the massacre will free the area, so that it can become “Muslim land.”

At Least 72 Christians Massacred by Islamists Across Ituri, D. R. Congo

Barnabas Aid, September 8, 2026:

The lives of at least 72 Christians have been added to the growing death toll of Islamist terrorism in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

These latest killings mean that more than 200 of our brothers and sisters have been massacred in Ituri Province since mid-July.

In the worst incident on August 28, fighters from Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) slaughtered 29 believers in the villages of Mabakoa and Biam, near Biakto.

The terrorists also burned down 40 houses as hundreds of villagers fled for safety.

The following day ISCAP fighters captured and beheaded nine Christians in the village of Amani, and killed a further two outside the village.

More than 1,370 Christians Dead

ISCAP (also known by its former name of ADF) has slaughtered more than 1,370 Christians in northeastern DRC since December 2024….

Democratic Republic of Congo: Muslims murder seven people, torch 20 houses in jihad attack on village

Sep 1, 2026 9:00 am By Robert Spencer4 Comments

Here, as always, the objective is to “strike terror in the enemies of Allah” (Qur’an 8:60), so that they flee the area and leave it for Muslims, expanding the dar al-Islam.

7 civilians killed, several missing in rebel attack in DR Congo

Anadolu Agency, August 30,2026:

At least seven civilians were killed in a weekend attack by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said on Sunday.

The attack took place in the Mambasa territory of Ituri province on Saturday, according to Alberic Kahundirwa, a local official.

“The death toll remains provisional because several people are missing. But the attackers also set fire to about 20 houses,” Kahundirwa told reporters.

The latest attack came a week after separate other attacks in various villages in the same territory left 16 people were killed and several others abducted.

The ADF is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) and has been active in eastern Congo for several years….