The Mall of America has increased its security after a video online purported to show al Shabaab, a terrorist group associated with al Qaeda, threatening to attack the Minnesota mall, according to multiple news reports.
The group called for an attack similar to the one it carried out in the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
According to USA Today, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are both aware of the threat.
In an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said the video was part of a “new phase” of terrorist threats.
“The video that was released by al Shabaab reflects what I believe is the new phase we’ve evolved in terms of the global terrorist threat and what we need to do in terms of counterterrorism,” Johnson said. “Groups like ISIL, al Shabaab, AQAP, are now publicly calling for attacks, either through the Internet, through videos, through publications, which means that we need to respond militarily. But we also have to have a whole government approach to law enforcement, Homeland Security and frankly, countering violent extremism efforts here in the homeland and communities.”