Abdul Razak Ali Artan identified as OSU terrorist, mentioned al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in rant ahead of attack
Students at Ohio State University were attacked Monday as Abdul Razak Ali Artan rammed his car into a group of pedestrians at the college and then began stabbing people before police shot him dead. New reports confirm the Somali born man ranted on Facebook about reaching a “boiling point” and mentioned radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki by name.
Artan, 18, wrote about “lone wolf attacks” and proclaimed: “America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially Muslim Ummah [community]. We are not weak. We are not weak, remember that…”
His Facebook posts two hours earlier said: “Forgive and forget. Love.”
Police chief Kim Jacobs said that terrorism was a possible motive as they noted that Artan was not previously known to the authorities: “I think we have to consider that it is.”
“Obviously with the purposeful intent that was noticed – driving on the sidewalk – we’re going look at it from the potential that it was planned.”
The FBI have joined the inquiry at the 60,000-student campus in Columbus.
Artan, said to be a Somali refugee who was living in the US as a legal permanent resident, studied logistics management in the college of Business at Ohio State.
Ohio State Police Chief Craig Stone said Artan got out of the vehicle and began stabbing bystanders with a “butcher’s knife”.
A policeman who was nearby because of a gas leak shot the driver dead in less than a minute.
Authorities identified the officer as 28-year-old Alan Horujko, who has been with Ohio State University police since 2015.
The college had warned students in a tweet to “Run Hide Fight”, warning there was an “active shooter”, though authorities later said the attacker did not use a firearm.
While there have been no confirmed links to Islamic State, the militant group is referring to Artan as a “Brother.” (SOURCE: Heavy)
Popular IS-linked Telegram channels now referring to Abdul Razak Ali #Artan, who was responsible for attack in #Ohio at #OSU as “brother” pic.twitter.com/JroesxTxlL
— Michael S. Smith II (@MichaelSSmithII) November 28, 2016