2023 shooting of Fargo police officers

2023 shooting of Fargo police officers
Location	Fargo, North Dakota, United States
Date	July 14, 2023 (2023-07-14) 3:04 – 3:06 p.m. (CT)
Target	Fargo police officers
Attack type	Mass shooting, shootout, ambush
Weapons	.223-caliber Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 AR-15–style semi-automatic rifle 2 handguns (carried, unused)
Deaths	2 (including the perpetrator)
Injured	3
Perpetrator	Mohamad Barakat
Motive	Unknown

On July 14, 2023, 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat opened fire on a group of police officers who were responding to an unrelated traffic accident in Fargo, North Dakota. One officer was killed, and two others and a civilian bystander were injured, before Barakat was killed by another officer on the scene who was uninjured.

Shooting

On the afternoon of July 14, 2023, a vehicle accident occurred on a busy street, prompting a response from the police department and fire department. Four police officers were attending the scene by the time of the ambush.

Barakat came across the scene while driving to an unknown destination and was observed on video to have circled the scene for approximately 15 minutes before parking his vehicle adjacent to the site of the accident. At around 3:04 p.m., when the officers began approaching his vehicle, Barakat fired a .223-caliber rifle equipped with a binary trigger out of his driver-side car window. Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes were immediately incapacitated by multiple gunshot wounds and could be seen laying motionless on bodycam footage, critically injured, while Officer Jake Wallin was killed by a single shot from Barakat. Bystander Karlee Koswick was wounded by two gunshots. Subsequently, Barakat exited his vehicle, wearing a tactical vest carrying several magazines and two handguns. The binary trigger on Barakat's semi-automatic rifle enabled rapid gunfire against the officers, which led Officer Robinson to believe he had an "AK-47".

A fourth police officer, Officer Zach Robinson, who was uninjured in the initial barrage of gunfire, then engaged Barakat in a brief shootout. Robinson, using his vehicle as cover, eventually struck Barakat and disabled his rifle. Barakat collapsed to the ground wounded and brandished one of his handguns, despite repeated demands from Robinson to drop his weapons. As Barakat continued to aim his handgun, Robinson fired five more shots at Barkat, killing him. Robinson fired a total of 31 rounds during the altercation, 21 of which struck Barakat.

Victims

Killed

• Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin

Injured

• Fargo Police Officer Andrew Dotas
• Fargo Police Officer Tyler Hawes
• Karlee Koswick (bystander)

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was Mohamad Barakat, a 37-year-old Syrian national who came to the U.S as an asylum seeker in 2012 and became a U.S citizen in 2019. Barakat worked "odd jobs" and at one point trained to be an emergency responder at a local college. He reportedly had family in the U.S, but they did not live in the Fargo area. Barakat did not have a criminal record and obtained the firearms used in the shooting legally. Barakat was not known to be an active member of the Muslim community in Fargo, did not have a social media presence and was essentially described as a loner.

No clear motive has been established for the ambush or any other potential plot Barakat may have planned. 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. Forensic analysis of Barakat's computer revealed that he had searched online for the terms “kill fast,” “explosive ammo,” “incendiary rounds,” “mass shooting events," and “area events where there are crowds," as well as information on the Red River Valley Fair. 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. Both the Downtown Fargo Street Fair and the Red River Valley Fair were ongoing at the time of the ambush, and attracted hundreds of visitors.

Barakat was wearing a tactical vest carrying several magazines and used a .223-caliber rifle equipped with a binary trigger and double-stacked high-capacity magazines, which were capable of holding up to 60 rounds, in the attack. He also had two handguns on his person, one of which he drew but did not fire in the attack. A search of Barakat's vehicle, which he had spray-painted the back windows of, after the shooting discovered seven additional guns, 1,800 rounds of ammunition, a homemade grenade, three gasoline containers, and two propane tanks filled with a homemade explosive compound similar to Tannerite.

Barakat's weapons and armor

Previous encounters with law enforcement

In 2021, the FBI received an anonymous tip about Barakat that 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. In the interview, Barakat "denied any ill-intentions."

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. Police found that all firearms were legally obtained and he was not prohibited from owning any of the items of concern, so no further action was taken.

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 neighbours who thought a "cannon" may have been being used. The range did not allow such targets, so Barakat was warned and was made to dump the explosive compounds, as federal law did not allow their transport after being mixed.

Aftermath

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