At least eight people were stabbed in an attack at a Minnesota shopping mall on Saturday night. The knife-wielding man was dressed in a private security uniform and asked at least one victim whether they were Muslim and referenced Allah during the assault, authorities said. The attack ended when the suspected attacker was shot dead by an off-duty police officer.
Around 8:30 p.m. local time, police responded to the stabbings at the Crossroads Mall, which is approximately 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The unnamed man stabbed people in several places within the mall, including corridors, stores, and common areas.
“The entire mall is an active crime scene,” St. Cloud Police Chief William Blair Anderson said.
The suspect was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer from another jurisdiction.
ISIS-linked media claims that the stabber was a “soldier of the Islamic State.”
BREAKING: IS-linked media claims Minnesota mall stabber was 'soldier of the Islamic State.'
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 18, 2016
Anderson declined to call the attacks an act of terrorism, and added that the motive for the attacks was not yet known. “We will be diligent and get to the bottom of this,” Anderson said. “Starting tomorrow, things won’t be the same here.”
All but one of the eight victims had been treated and released from a local hospital and all were expected to survive their injuries.
Anderson said that local police had three previous encounters with the suspect, most for minor traffic violations.
The mall will be closed on Sunday.
[FoxNews]