Father of Mall of America plot suspect says son had developmental delays as experts assess case

The 18-year-old man charged with crimes for allegedly plotting to shoot and kill people at the Mall of America faces long odds in getting acquitted, according to multiple legal experts who spoke with Sahan Journal. Yet his case does provide some openings for successful defense strategies, some added. In an interview with Sahan Journal, the father of Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud said his son had undiagnosed developmental delays. And the FBI’s investigation began before he was an adult, raising questions about his predisposition to commit the crime, according to some defense attorneys. “The fact that the defendant was 16 [when the FBI began its investigation] and had no criminal record at all are important aspects of this case,” defense attorney Earl Gray told Sahan Journal. Earlier this month, federal prosecutors charged Mohamud with providing, attempting to provide and conspiring to provide material support or resources to a designated terrorist organization. If convi