Minnesota Mall Stabbing Inspired by Radical Islamic Groups: FBI Director

On the night of the attack, St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said the deceased suspect in the Crossroads Center mall stabbing, later identified as Dahir Ahmed Adan, 20, referred to Allah and asked at least one victim if he was Muslim before assaulting him.

The Islamic State-linked AMAQ news agency later reported that the terrorist group described Adan as a soldier of ISIS.

"The executor of the stabbing attacks in Minnesota yesterday was a soldier of the Islamic State and carried out the operation in response to the citizens of countries belonging to the crusader coalition," read a statement from AMAQ.

Investigators have so far found no evidence that Adan was linked to ISIS prior to the attack.

However, while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington D.C. earlier this week, FBI Director James Comey said Adan appears to have been motivated "by some sort of inspiration from radical Islamic groups."

Comey said that investigators are not yet sure which groups may have inspired Adan at this point.

Last week, FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force announced it had taken over the investigation into the mall stabbing.

The agency will continue to receive assistance from the St. Cloud Police Department as authorities investigate possible links between the suspect and international terror organizations.

Photo by Alex Curtis, used with permission