A stabbing attack injured nine people at a St. Cloud, Minn. shopping mall on Saturday night. According to the Associated Press, the Islamic State has identified itself as the force responsible for the act.
At around 8 p.m. Saturday, a man embarked on a stabbing spree that left nine victims with non life-threatening injuries. The AP reports that the man entered the scene wearing a private security uniform. He targeted the mall goers until an off-duty police officer fatally shot him. The mall did not open on Sunday, and of the seven men, one woman and one child who were injured in the stabbing, three continue to receive hospital care.
PHOTO: From inside the food court entrance. Authorities are not letting anyone out. pic.twitter.com/5TQKfILv2t
— Lyanne Valdez (@UTVSLyanne) September 18, 2016
Police officials have yet to release the name of the attacker. However, according to the Star Tribune, he has been identified by his father as 22-year-old Dahir A. Adan. Ahmed Adan disclosed his son’s name during an interview at his St. Cloud apartment on Sunday night.
The Islamic State quickly claimed the stabbing as its own. The New York Times reports that the connection between Adan’s actions and the terrorist group remains unclear, but an ISIS newswire agency claims Adan was acting for them.
“[The] executor of the stabbing attacks in #Minnesota yesterday was a soldier of the Islamic State.” the Amaq News Agency said Sunday.
According to the Star Tribune, the Islamic State’s insistence has resulted in an FBI-led investigation. Though the FBI is not officially attributing the attack to a terror group yet, Adan reportedly referenced Allah throughout the stabbing and questioned at least one victim about whether or not he or she was Muslim.
St. Cloud police Chief Blair Anderson told the AP that the attack was Adan’s fourth encounter with police. He said the other three encounters were for minor reasons.
Our nation endured an exceptionally scary weekend. Regardless of whether or not this attack (as well as the explosions in New York City and New Jersey) was driven by terroristic motives, one thing’s for sure—safety isn't something we can take for granted.
