FBI Foils Mall of America Terror Plot After Agents Supplying Gun to Teen

FBI stops teen from attacking Mall of America after supplying him with an assault rifle. Authorities reveal details of the thwarted plot.

Editorial Desk

October 8, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Minneapolis, United States — The FBI has successfully prevented a planned terror attack on the Mall of America by an 18-year-old Somali-American teenager, who was supplied with an AK-47 by agents monitoring him for nearly two years.

The suspect, Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud, was arrested in Richfield, Minnesota, after purchasing the rifle and ammunition from an undercover FBI agent posing as an Islamic State member. He had been under surveillance since December 2024, when he began communicating with a confidential informant about his plans to carry out an attack at the mall.

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Mohamud, who is an American-born citizen of Somali descent, had previously expressed interest in joining militant groups in Somalia but later decided to target the mall instead. During his initial court appearance, he stated he had no job, house, or bank account. U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen emphasized the importance of heeding warnings from law enforcement regarding potential radicalization.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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