‘Lone wolf’ jihadi who went on Minnesota knife rampage was a Call Of Duty loner
Basketball fanatic Dahir Adan, 22, was unmasked by his family as the attacker who died during his mass stabbing spree
A “LONE wolf” jihadi who slashed shoppers during an alleged IS-inspired knife attack at a US mall was named last night as a Call Of Duty-obsessed university student.
Basketball fanatic Dahir Adan, 22, was unmasked by his family as the attacker who died during his mass stabbing spree at the Crossroads Mall in St Cloud, Minnesota.
after his son was shot dead by an off duty police officer in Saturday night's frenzied assault.
Dahir lunged at shoppers — striking nine — after demanding to know if they shared his faith.
His family said he told them he was popping out to buy an iPhone the night he was killed.
The assault is being treated as an act of terrorism after an ISIS propaganda channel declared Adan was one of its operatives.
Amaq news agency said he "carried out the operation in response to calls to target the citizens of countries belonging to the crusader coalition."
St Cloud State University student Adan, who was born in Kenya but is of Somali descent according to his father, was felled at least twice by gunfire from an off-duty police officer.
Jason Falconer, a cop at nearby Avon Police Department, opened fire as the suspect lunged towards him.
He got up and continued his terrifying assault each time he was shot until he was eventually fatally wounded.
In all nine people between the ages of 15 and 53 were left hurt.
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St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis said three remained in hospital with one being treated for life-threatening injuries.
He said Adan was wearing a security guard uniform and told people he was a police officer before the attack began.
Minnesota has a higher than average migrant Muslim population and communities have been investigated for ISIS links in the past.
Local Muslim and Somali-American leaders publicly condemned the attack.
Mohamoud Mohamed, a spokesman for the Central Minnesota Islamic Center in St. Cloud, said the community in Minnesota had "no connection" to ISIS.
"We are the victims of those terrorist groups. Islam is peace... I pray for the victims," he said.
St Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said the suspect entered Crossroads Center shopping mall at 8pm local time on Saturday and "made some references to Allah".
The suspect was armed with "at least one knife... big enough to hurt someone".
Mr Anderson said Adan asked at least one of his victims if they were a Muslim before attacking.
Speaking in the aftermath of the attack he added: “What we know it is a lone suspect who attacked eight people."
It later emerged a ninth victim had taken themselves to hospital outside St Clouds.
The victims were stabbed in various areas of the mall, including corridors, business and common areas.
A "deafening" explosion from a “homemade bomb” ripped through the fashionable Manhattan district with police later removing a second suspected device.
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