St. CLOUD – Hundreds of St. Cloud students, residents, faiths and city leaders gathered in a rally on Tuesday night, September 20, to reject the recent mall stabbings and repeat a unity message against fear.
“Remember, we write our story, not others,” Police Chief William Blair Anderson told the rally, Star Tribune reported on September 21.
The rally brought together students, residents, as well as Puniversity and city leaders, all repeating the message: This is not who we are.
The FBI on Tuesday took over the investigation of into the incident which the officials have called “a potential act of terrorism.”
Seeing Adan as a smart and calm student, his colleagues cannot overcome the terror and grief the attack created.
“In recent nights, there have been nights when I wake up crying,” third-year student Barwaaqo Dirir, who was Adan’s friend, told a crowd of hundreds gathered on campus.
“My heart is heavy with a desperate need to pray for everyone. There are too many hurting and broken people.”
Organized by students, the rally brought together students, residents, and university and city leaders, all repeating the message: This is not who we are.
“Are we strong? Are we united?” St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis asked the cheering crowd.
“I have been so proud of the outpouring of support from this community.”
Graduate student Sam Conway drew cheers as well when he noted that for too long, the city has referred “to the ‘Somali community’ on one hand and ‘St. Cloud’ on the other, as if these were two separate things.”
“For 16 years of this young man’s life … he was raised by this community. My community,” said Conway, a representative of the Graduate Clinical Counseling Association.
“As a community, I and we need to take responsibility.”
Not Terrorist
From the left; Najah Ibrahim, Ahmed Kewen, Courtney Kujala and Mathilda Young held hands raised during a unity rally at St. Cloud State University campus in St. Cloud on Tuesday.
Though the FBI took charge of the investigation, many did not agree with claims it was a sign of evidence linking the mall attack and foreign terrorism.
“ISIL claimed credit relatively quickly; I’d be surprised if either [Adan] didn’t reach out to ISIL supporters or at the very least, know some of the previous travelers,” said Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the George Washington University Program on Extremism.
The opinion was shared by friends of Adan at the rally as they expressed shock that the studious friend they knew, who loved his homeland of Somalia, but was into American politics and talked of running for City Council or state Legislature, would commit such an act.
St. Cloud State student Mohamed Wahab said he knew Adan through mutual friends.
“We hit it off,” he said of first meeting Adan. “He was quiet, he worked a lot and kept to himself.”
Adna Abdi, who knew Adan well, said he was smart with a 4.0 GPA while he was in school.
“I don’t believe he was radicalized,” Abdi, a recent St. Cloud State graduate who is friends with Adan’s sister, said.
“He would make remarks that were anti-ISIS. He was not even a religious person. He was more focused on school and sports.”