ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – He was a recent college student with an interest in computers who had worked part time as a private security guard.
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“We do not at this point in time know whether the subject was in contact with, had connections with or was inspired by a foreign terrorist organization”, Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Rick Thorton said at a press conference on Sunday.
Jason Falconer’s expertise as a firearms instructor and competitive shooter was just what was needed to stop a stabbing rampage Saturday night at a St. Cloud mall, his boss said Monday.
Authorities are investigating the stabbings of nine people at a central Minnesota mall as a potential act of terrorism, a finding that would be the realization of long-held fears of a domestic attack there.
He added: “Lone actor attacks require less planning, organization, skill and expertise, so we are likely to see more”.
President Barack Obama said the FBI is investigating the attack in Minnesota as a potential act of terrorism. “The last time he went out, he said he was going to buy an iPhone”, Yussuf said.
Following the Saturday stabbings, Lul Hersi stood outside the Crossroads Mall, waiting to find out if her son was among the victims.
Interfaith leaders have said there is some anger, fear and anxiety in the community following the incident, but together they will move forward.
“Let us not rush and jump into conclusions”, Said said in a statement.
Hussein called the attack “an isolated incident, and we still don’t know the full facts”. “It does not represent Islam, and it does not represent Somalis”.
His father Ahmed, speaking through an interpreter, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that he was 22, but court records and a driving licence database showed his age as 20.
Minnesota has the nation’s largest Somali community, with census numbers placing the population at about 40,000.
The FBI called the stabbings “a potential act of terrorism”.
According to Haji Yussuf, a local community leader who spoke to the family, Adan left no obvious clues. Stopping the recruiting has been a high priority, with law enforcement investing countless hours in community outreach and the state participating in a federal project created to combat radical messages.
Additionally, Adnan has been identified as a Somali but has not yet been linked with the Somali-Minnesotans, who were convicted earlier this year for plotting to join ISIS. More than 20 young men have left the state since 2007 to join al-Shabab in Somalia; the U.S. considers the eastern Africa militants group a terrorist group.
Kleis said the nine who were stabbed, all of whom were out of the hospital by Monday afternoon, were not the only victims. He also said police told him about an hour after the attack that his son had died at the mall and that the family’s apartment had been searched, with photos and other materials seized.
Adan, wearing a private security uniform, made references to Allah and asked at least one person if they were Muslim before he assaulted them at the mall, Anderson said. When the stabbings began, 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 there. The attack was reported at around 8:15 p.m.
The off-duty police officer who fatally shot the mass stabber in a Minnesota mall Saturday is a firearms training expert.
Authorities said Adan, the attacker, had three previous encounters with police. He had nothing more than a minor traffic citation on his record. Both officials said they had viewed a surveillance tape from Macy’s which revealed details of the confrontation. In describing the moment, Kleis said Adan had a knife in his hand when he lunged at Falconer. He praised Falconer saying, “He clearly prevented additional injuries and potentially loss of life”.
The mall reopened Monday after being closed Sunday. “Sad as that is, it didn’t surprise me”, Anderson told reporters, a nod to the conflicts that have simmered between longtime residents and new arrivals for years. Todd said Adan never came onto the radar of Fargo police.
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The mall stabbing was one of several incidents reported nationwide Saturday. At this point, the White House saw no connection between this attacks and the ones in NY and New Jersey. A second explosive device was found a few blocks away, authorities say.
