St. Cloud mayor says city 'steadfast and resolved' after mall attack
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St. Cloud officials were at Crossroads Center as it reopened Monday morning following the weekend knife attack that injured nine people.
An off-duty police officer from nearby Avon, Minn., shot and killed the attacker on Saturday night. The suspect has been identified by family members as Dahir Adan. None of those who were hurt received life-threatening injuries.
St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis told MPR News host Cathy Wurzer that he and police St. Cloud Police Chief William Blair Anderson were at the mall to reassure workers and customers of their safety on Monday morning as it reopened.
"We're steadfast and resolved that we will keep safety at the forefront and we'll do everything we can," Kleis said. "Based on the assurances we've had from the state folks and the federal folks, we'll have the resources we need to combat that if that's the case."
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While Kleis acknowledged that there have been tensions between native-born and foreign-born St. Cloud residents, he said that the community has come together since the attack.
"We have worked very hard to make sure that we as a community are a community that is as strong and united as any place in this country," Kleis said. "We have worked very hard to work with individuals and be a welcoming community."
Investigators are looking at the suspect's social media accounts and electronic devices to figure out a motive for the attacks. The FBI says investigators view the attacks as a "potential act of terrorism."
An Islamic State-run news agency, Rasd, claimed Sunday that the attacker was a "soldier of the Islamic State" who had heeded the group's calls for attacks in countries that are part of a U.S.-led anti-IS coalition, according to the AP and NPR.
"You need to be vigilant and make sure there's a full investigation," Kleis said. "I leave that to law enforcement, because I don't want to jeopardize anything they're doing."
Gov. Mark Dayton will meet in St. Cloud on Monday with Kleis and other community leaders.
