Crossroads stabbing attack still under investigation

by Dennis Dalman

editor@thenewsleaders.com

Waves of shock, horror, fear and disbelief swept through Central Minnesota and rippled worldwide last weekend after a knife-wielding man went on a sudden rampage and stabbed 10 shoppers in Crossroads Center in St. Cloud.

The attacker, 22-year-old Dahir Adan of St. Cloud, was shot to death by an off-duty, part-time Avon police officer who just happened to be in the mall that night.

Fortunately, all the victims survived with injuries not considered life-threatening. Injured were eight men, a woman and a 15-year-old girl, all from the Central Minnesota area. Most of the injured were treated and released from the hospital, although several were kept in the hospital for a time.

The attack is under investigation as a “possible” terrorist-motivated attack. A radical Islamic “news” agency posted a bulletin calling Adan “a soldier” for its cause, but there is no evidence whatsoever at this point that there is a connection between Adan’s attack and international terrorist groups or that he was taking orders from anybody else. Adan had no previous criminal record.

The bloody melee began at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 when witnesses said Adan went from person to person in various places in the mall, slashing and stabbing at people, apparently at random. Some claimed he was shouting something about “Allah,” and someone else said he had asked a victim if he was a Muslim before slashing at him with a knife.

During the attack, Adan was wearing a security-guard uniform. He had worked for a private security-guard company and had been, until recent months, a student at St. Cloud State University studying information systems. A member of the Somali-American community in St. Cloud, Adan was born in East Africa but moved to St. Cloud with his family when he was a boy and later became an American citizen. He was highly praised as an honor student at Apollo High School. He lived with his parents in an apartment building in St. Cloud.

Jason Falconer is the part-time Avon police officer who confronted Adan at the mall that night. He told Adan to get down on the ground, and he complied. But then he leaped back up and ran toward Falconer, who fired his handgun at him. Again, Adan fell but got up again and lunged at Falconer, who shot him again, causing him to collapse, dead. That confrontation was recorded on video, according to St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis, who spoke at a press conference later that night, along with St. Cloud Police Chief William Blair Anderson.

Leaders from throughout the world, including President Barack Obama and Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, expressed concern and sympathy for the victims of the attack. Obama said it appeared the St. Cloud attack was unrelated to the homemade pipe and pressure-cooker bombs that exploded the same day in New Jersey and in New York, injuring 29 people in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The perpetrator of those bomb blasts, an Afghanistan-born American, was arrested after a gunfight between him and police. He wounded the two police officers, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The bomber suffered gunshot wounds to an arm and a leg.

All who knew Adan in St. Cloud said they are baffled as to why he would commit such an irrational, violent act because he never seemed to be an angry, disaffected individual.

Throughout St. Cloud, central Minnesota and beyond, there were calls for unity among all people, including advisories that people should not let anger or fears goad them into any forms of retaliatory actions. Somali-American leaders, along with other faith leaders, called for peace, understanding, solidarity and brotherhood. Adan’s parents also expressed sorrow and sympathy for the victims.

At a Sept. 19 press conference called by faith leaders at St. Cloud City Hall, a statement from Adan’s family, written by their attorney on their behalf, was read aloud:

“We are devastated by the incomprehensible, tragic event of last Saturday evening. As we mourn the death of our son, Dahir Adan, who was very dear to us, we are in deep shock as everyone else is in the state of Minnesota. We express our deepest sympathy and condolences to all those injured and others who were impacted as a result of the incident at the Crossroads Mall. We pray for their families and (the victims’) speedy recovery. As a family, we are committed to fully cooperating within the limits of the law with all the relevant law-enforcement agencies as they conduct their investigation. Our family loves St. Cloud and this great state of Minnesota. We are an integral part of the fabric of this society. Therefore, we urge citizens of St. Cloud and of this state to stay united and let the law-enforcement agencies gather the facts and do their work. Finally, we urge all not to rush to judgment or conclusions. We ask everyone to respect our privacy during this difficult time. We will make further statements as more facts about the incident become available.”