Special Agent with the FBI Rick Thornton says they’ve interviewed at least 180 people in their investigation into the mall stabbings on Saturday, September 17th at Crossroads Mall in St. Cloud.
The FBI continues to review Dahir Adan’s electronic devices, however his iphone is locked and they haven’t gotten access to his cell phone yet.
Thornton says Adan ‘went from being a high achieving student with a lot of friends, to being withdrawn and flunking out of college almost overnight’. He says Adan may have become radicalized recently and that the attack likely was premeditated. Adan took interest recently in Islam, and encouraged his female relatives to be more religious.
Thornton also says investigators were told that said Adan yelled “Islam, Islam” and “allahu akbar” during the attack.
Thornton says Adan texted his boss at about 6:45 p.m. that night and said he could not make it in work. At 8:07 p.m. he left his home enroute to the mall. He was involved in a hit and run with a bicyclist on his way to the mall. He arrived at the Crossroads Center parking lot at about 8:13 p.m. The first 911 call came in at 8:14 p.m.
Stearns County Attorney Janelle Kendall says her role is to determine if the use of deadly force was necessary by part-time Avon police officer Jason Falconer. She says no criminal action will be filed against officer Falconer.
Kendall says showing the video at this time in the investigation is something they would not normally do, but in the interest of transparency they decided to go ahead and release the video footage.
Kendall says the attacks started outside the mall near Complete Nutrition, then Dahir Adan continued inside the mall toward Target and Macy’s. Adan was armed with two steak knives.
Kendall says Adan asked Falconer if he was Muslim.
Adan ran into Macy’s followed by Falconer. Twelve witnesses say they heard Falconer order Adan to drop his weapons.
Ninety-five separate 911 calls were made regarding the mall stabbings incident.
A total of 10 rounds were fired by Falconer with six striking Adan.
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis says we should continue to remember the victims of the mall stabbings. He says he’s had a chance to speak to each of the 10 victims.
Kleis says 13 different agencies – 126 different people – responded to the Crossroads mall that night.
Kleis says the case is completely in the hands of the FBI now. The role of the St. Cloud Police Department and the Stearns County Attorney’s Office is complete.
Thanks to MNN Affiliate WJON
http://wjon.com
Here is part of today’s press conference in St. Cloud: