St. Cloud Community Rallys After Minnesota Mall Stabbing

About 300 people gathered Tuesday to promote community solidarity following the St. Cloud, Minnesota mall attack that resulted in the death of the suspect who injured at least 10 before he was shot by an off-duty police officer.

The event was held on the St. Cloud State University campus and led by Mohamed Warsame, president of the Somali Student Association.

“This is an example of what a strong community looks like,” Warsame said.

The primary focus of the event was on those injured in the mall attack, according to a report from St. Cloud State.

“We are united in our passion, and compassion, for the victims and others at the Saturday event," said interim university president Ashish Vaidya.

The suspect in the mall stabbing, Dahir Ahmed Adan, a 20-year-old male from St. Cloud, was reportedly of Somali descent.

St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said Adan referred to Allah and asked at least one victim if he was Muslim before assaulting him. This fact prompted a restaurant owner in Lonsdale, Minnesota to add the words "Muslims Get Out" to his outdoor sign.

'Muslims Get Out' Sign Emerges After Minnesota Mall Stabbing

At the gathering, students and community leaders emphasized the need to promote peace and not hatred.

“We cannot and we will not stand for ignorance,” said Mica Saucedo, president of Residence Hall Association.

“We cannot and we will not stand for hate.”

“Remember, we write our story, not others," said St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis.

“Do what you do every day. The fact that you do something normal, that builds, and continues to build, community.”

Sam Conway, a member of the Graduate Student Clinical Counseling Association, said it's time to end the view that the local Somali community and the St. Cloud community are divided.

“[Adan] was raised by this community, my community, a community that we need to take responsibility for," Conway said.

“We believe this type of responsibility, this type of truth-telling, this type of honesty, is the only thing that gets us to freedom, that gets us to change and allows us to live together in peace.”

The gathering was followed by a campus march and ended with discussions.

Photo by Nick Lenz, St. Cloud State University, used with permission