2023 shooting of Fargo police officers

On July 14, 2023, 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat opened fire on a group of police officers who were responding to an unrelated traffic collision in Fargo, North Dakota.

On the evening of July 13, 2023, he was seen checking his apartment door with a handgun, assembling a short-barrelled shotgun, and, at midnight, holding the Quran.

[1][2] Separately, at around 2:40 p.m., a vehicle accident occurred on 25th Street and Ninth Avenue South, which prompted a small emergency response of police and firefighters.

[5] At around 3:04 p.m., when police officers began approaching the direction of his vehicle, Barakat fired a .223-caliber rifle equipped with a binary trigger out of his driver-side car window.

Robinson, using a vehicle involved in the traffic accident for cover, eventually struck Barakat and effectively disabled his rifle by hitting its magazine.

[13] Barakat's search history included articles about Syrian refugees, immigration arrests and drone strikes in Syria, though no indication was found of a political or religious motive or any connection to a terrorist group.

[15] Investigators have suggested that Barakat likely intended to carry out a larger attack based on the amount of weapons and ammunition he had, but may have decided to open fire on the police officers to create a diversion.

[12] In 2021, the FBI received an anonymous tip about Barakat from a woman in Minnesota, who raised concerns about his large collection of firearms, his mental state and his alleged use of threatening language.

This information was forwarded to the Fargo Police Department, who interviewed Barakat, but took no further action due to a lack of evidence regarding any illegal activity.

"[18][19] In 2022, Barakat was again interviewed by police following a fire in his apartment kitchen, when responding firefighters reported the large amount of firearms, ammunition and explosive materials in his home.

[20] In May, 2023, Barakat had an encounter with a Cass County deputy after he shot at explosive Tannerite targets at a Casselton firing range, which prompted concerned calls from neighbors who thought a "cannon" may have been being used due to the loud bangs.

[3] In March, 2024, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley announced that he would ask the ATF to destroy the rifle used in the shooting, as well as Barakat's other weapons and ammunition.