Over the weekend, Dahir Adan, a 22-year-old college student, went on a stabbing rampage in a mall, only to be stopped by Jason Falconer, an off-duty cop who shot him.
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Authorities have released little information about Adan but say they are investigating the attacks as a potential act of terrorism.
But one victim, Ryan Schliep, said Adan was completely silent while stabbing him in the head.
Police said multiple people were injured at the St. Cloud shopping mall on Saturday evening in an attack possibly involving both shooting and stabbing.
One of the victims of the Minnesota mall stabbings has said the man who carried out the attack showed no emotion and his eyes looked blank.
“We are now investigating this as a potential act of terrorism”, said the FBI’s Richard Thornton, speaking at a news conference at police headquarters early Sunday afternoon.
But it was not immediately known whether the extremist group had planned the attack or knew about it beforehand. When the stabbings started, occurring in several locations including some stores, Bayne ran out to the parking lot and took off in her auto, crying and shaking in the aftermath of an event she never thought would happen at the mall. The FBI is investigating the stabbings as a potential terrorist act.
Authorities haven’t identified the attacker, but his father, Ahmed Adan, told the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune his son’s name through an interpreter.
“As we mourn the death of our son, Dahir Adan, who was very dear to us, we are in deep shock as everyone else is in the state of Minnesota”, read a statement from Adan’s family.
According to a report from Bearing Arms, in addition to being a part-time police officer, Falconer is also a tactical weapons trainer, a competition shooter and the CEO of Tactical Advantage, a gun shop, range and firearm training center. Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman Kyle Loven said he could not discuss any investigative details, but that authorities are following up on all leads.
Anderson also said the attack appeared to be the work of one person and there was no sign the attacker was radicalized or communicated with any terrorist group. They also impounded the assailant’s auto from the mall parking lot.
He put on a security guard’s uniform like the one he wore while working a previous job at a nearby appliance factory. A cousin down the hall in the same building described Dahir Adan as a good person who minded his own business.
Falconer was shopping at the time of attack but St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said that Falconer identified himself as a police officer. The company said Adan resigned in June, but would not say why. “We will make further statements as more facts about the incident become available”.
Ahmed Said, executive director of the Somali American Relations Council, said it’s not certain religion motivated the attack.
“Finally, we urge all not to rush to judgement or conclusions”. “. We strongly stress that everybody calms down and focus on what unites us than what divides us in these hard times”.
Last year St Cloud school officials met Somali parents, community elders and students after Somali-American students walked out to protest about their treatment. He praised Falconer saying, “He clearly prevented additional injuries and potentially loss of life”.
Harley Exsted and his wife, Tama, of Isle, Minn., entered Macy’s at 8 p.m. and soon after heard a popping sound. All of a sudden these people started running. The Exsteds joined a crowd that was fleeing, including a man frantically pushing a baby stroller. Many of them have been waiting in the food court. “We were pretty shook up”.
President Barack Obama says there is no apparent connection between the stabbings at a mall in Minnesota and the bombings in NY and New Jersey.
Leaders of the local Somali community gave a press conference Sunday to “strongly condemn any terrorist attack” and give their condolences to the victims and their families.
“I don’t want people to think that there’s a connection between the schools and the incident, because that’s not true”, Dahlgren told the newspaper. “Her friend called to let us know they were OK; they are on lockdown”, she said.
“St. Cloud is filled with hard-working, right-thinking, decent people – and we’re going to be stronger because of this”, he said.
He said the gift made it home despite what happened next.
“My brother and I have always been really close”.
Their mother, who is still in OH, asked Dominic to text her a photo from inside the mall to show he’s safe, and he did, Bellow said. She said she felt safe in St. Cloud until Saturday’s events.
The couple escaped unharmed and said they helped another woman who was running from the scene to her auto. “My kids were here”.
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Minnesota has the largest Somali community of anywhere in the nation.
