An 18-year-old suspect was arrested after federal authorities uncovered an alleged plan to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
The FBI said it stopped the plot before the suspect was able to acquire the weapons needed to carry out the attack on the major shopping destination.
According to court records, the teenager allegedly attempted to purchase an assault rifle with the intention of opening fire on shoppers inside the mall.
The Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, is one of the largest shopping centers in the United States and draws millions of visitors each year.
Federal authorities have not publicly disclosed how long the investigation into the suspect had been ongoing before the arrest was made.
Court records indicate the suspect’s alleged inspiration was the Islamic State, the extremist group also known as ISIS, which has been linked to numerous terror plots across the Western world.
The FBI’s involvement suggests the case was treated as a domestic terrorism matter, given the alleged ideological motivations behind the planned attack.
Attempted purchases of firearms in connection with terror plots are a frequent avenue through which federal investigators identify and intercept suspects before violence occurs.
The case highlights ongoing concerns among law enforcement agencies about the radicalization of young Americans through online extremist content and ISIS-affiliated propaganda.
No injuries were reported, and authorities stressed that the public was never in immediate danger as a result of the alleged plot, given the intervention of federal agents.
The suspect, who was 18 years old at the time of the arrest, faces serious federal charges that could result in significant prison time if convicted on terrorism-related counts.
The FBI has made disrupting ISIS-inspired domestic plots a central pillar of its counterterrorism strategy, and this case represents the latest in a string of such interventions across the country.
