Videos show how the Fargo shooter targeted officers, North Dakota attorney general says

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Additional video recordings of last month’s (July 14, 2023) ambush of police in Fargo, North Dakota, show how the gunman seemed to target the officers. The state’s attorney general showed videos from bodycams, a dashboard camera and a nearby business to The Associated Press and other media. They provide a fuller picture of the July 14 attack. It shows how gunman Mohamad Barakat waited for about four minutes before unleashing a torrent of rifle fire. Officer Zach Robinson disabled the rifle with a shot from a 9 mm handgun from 75 feet away and then ran toward danger, ultimately killing the gunman when he refused to drop another weapon.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — More video recordings of an ambush (July 14, 2023) of police officers in Fargo, North Dakota, show how the gunman cased the scene of a fender bender, waiting and watching for roughly four minutes as more officers arrived before opening fire.

The additional videos — from officers’ body cameras, a police dashboard camera and a nearby business — were showed to The Associated Press and other media by North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley.

“It’s fair to deduce from all of this that he is clearly targeting the police,” Wrigley told the AP.

“He seemed to be waiting, and by waiting, doubled the number of police officers that were there,” but that “doesn’t speak to motive of why he did it,” the attorney general said.

As the investigation wraps up, the FBI is helping to interview people who exchanged “unremarkable” amounts of money with gunman Mohamad Barakat before the July 14 shooting, Wrigley said.

The attorney general has said Barakat appeared to be an example of the “lone wolves” concept, and there’s no indication anyone helped him.

Barakat lived alone in an apartment, working odd jobs for money. He had no criminal record or social media presence, authorities said, and had so little contact with others that the only photo investigators have provided is a blurry image taken from a video.

Authorities have said Barakat loaded his car with guns, ammunition and explosives and was likely planning a larger attack in the Fargo area. Then he happened upon the fender bender, and may have ambushed the officers to create a diversion.

Barakat shot and killed Jake Wallin, who managed to fire one round before he died, and wounded Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes along with Karlee Koswick, a woman who had rear-ended another vehicle in the crash. All three have since left the hospital.

In the videos, Barakat can be seen driving around the area and parking twice in an adjacent parking lot as people came and went amid busy traffic and firefighters responded to the crash. The rear-ended vehicle parked just feet away from Barakat, carrying several other people who soon found themselves ducking for their lives.

Barakat appeared to wait until the three officers moved closer, into a grassy area between the parking lot and street, to interview crash witnesses. He opened fire from his vehicle, with no apparent warning, using a .223-caliber rifle that had had been modified with a binary trigger to unleash a torrent of bullets, some of which hit passing cars and nearby homes.

It’s just “the winds of fate” that more people weren’t wounded, Wrigley said.

A fourth officer, Zach Robinson, was in the street when the gunfire erupted and began firing back with a 9 mm handgun, ducking behind Koswick’s car and then rising up to shoot the clip of Barakat’s rifle, effectively disabling the weapon, from about 75 feet (23 meters) away. Calling for backup, he says “Send everybody,” and then runs toward danger as Barakat moves between the parked cars.

The video then shows the wounded Barakat on the ground, still waving a handgun and ignoring Robinson’s commands to drop the weapon. Ultimately, Robinson fired five more shots. In the end, after nearly two minutes, 21 of the 31 shots Robinson fired had struck the gunman.

Police vehicles then rushed in from all directions, joined by several ambulances. The firefighters already at the scene for the crash ran to the officers’ sides; they had backed up their truck, its front tire punctured by gunfire, to block traffic as the bullets flew.

Hawes’ body camera was shot off his chest and landed on the sidewalk, where it captured audio of the gunfire and sirens. Another camera recorded Hawes crawling to Dotas’ side to comfort him after both were shot. Robinson helped a responding officer handcuff the dying gunman, then comfort Dotas as responders cut off his clothing to render aid.

Video recordings also show Koswick run and fall after being shot. She had been on the sidewalk, talking on her phone.

Wrigley had already presented a segment of Robinson’s body camera recording at a press conference this month, showing the moments leading up to Barakat’s abrupt attack and how Robinson confronted him, likely preventing much more bloodshed.

Investigators found numerous guns, 1,800 rounds of ammunition, a homemade grenade and explosives in Barakat’s vehicle.

Barakat, 37, was a Syrian national who had come to the U.S. on an asylum request in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2019, Wrigley has said. Concerns about his guns prompted police to interview Barakat at his home at least twice in recent years, but he appeared to have acquired the weapons legally.

After the attack, investigators examining Barakat’s internet history found that over the past five years, he had searched for terms including “kill fast,” “explosive ammo,” “incendiary rounds,” “mass shooting events,” and one for “area events where there are crowds.” That brought up a news article with the headline, ”Thousands enjoy first day of Downtown Fargo Street Fair,” a day before the shooting.

Robinson is now back on the job, his actions commended by both Wrigley and Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski.

UNDATED (AP)- The gunman who last month killed a Fargo police officer and wounded two others and a civilian admitted to owning nearly a dozen guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition in a 2022 police interview following a kitchen fire at his home.

Firefighters notified police after seeing guns, ammunition and propane tanks in Mohamad Barakat’s apartment, according to a report provided to The Associated Press Wednesday by the City of Fargo Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Jason Ness noted what appeared to be “a significant amount of gun ammunition,” “multiple ‘assault style’ rifles,” a 20-pound propane cylinder in a bedroom, a second smaller propane cylinder in the kitchen, and “a funnel, blender, and other items that looked to be for measuring purposes” in his report on the Sept. 6, 2022 fire.

“FPD determined everything was legal with the gun collection,” Ness wrote. “The individual admitted to owning approximately 10 guns and 6,000 rounds of ammunition. My decision to refer the issue to PD was based on the presence of the guns, several high capacity magazines, and the presence of propane tanks with no means of using the tanks for cooking or grilling.”

Fargo city spokesperson Katie Ettish told the AP that police officers observed several guns in Barakat’s apartment during the fire call, but none were illegal. Barakat also was not prohibited from acquiring or possessing guns, she said.

Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski previously said that he believed police had prior contact with Barakat “but not anything significant.”

Barakat, 37, shot and killed Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin and wounded officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes as they responded to a routine traffic crash on July 14. He also wounded a bystander as she tried to flee. A fourth officer, Zach Robinson, shot and killed Barakat, preventing what authorities said could have been a much bigger attack with summer festivities occurring in the area at the time.

After the shooting, investigators discovered numerous weapons in Barakat’s car, including guns, a homemade grenade, more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, three containers full of gasoline and two propane tanks — one completely filled and the other half-filled with homemade explosive materials, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said.

Authorities also said Barakat’s internet queries over the past five years included “kill fast,” “explosive ammo,” “incendiary rounds,” “mass shooting events,” and one for “area events where there are crowds,” which brought up a news article with the headline, ”Thousands enjoy first day of Downtown Fargo Street Fair,” a day before the shooting.

The 2022 fire was at least the second time authorities interviewed Barakat about his guns. The FBI and Fargo Police Department said last week that the FBI received an anonymous tip about Barakat in July 2021 in which concerns were expressed about his mental state, that he had access to a “ significant number of firearms ” and that he had used threatening language.

Fargo police detectives visited Barakat, who “denied any ill-intentions,” according to the statement.

The FBI and FPD said that because there was no evidence of ongoing illegal activities or indications of an immediate threat, no further action was taken at the time. The FBI’s investigation into last month’s shooting is ongoing.

Wrigley has said it appears Barakat legally purchased his guns. Barakat was a Syrian national who came to the U.S. on an asylum request in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2019, Wrigley has said.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The heavily armed man who killed one Fargo police officer and wounded two as they were investigating a traffic stop had been interviewed about his guns in 2021 after the FBI received a tip. The FBI and Fargo Police Department told The Associated Press in a joint statement Thursday (July 27, 2023) that the FBI received an anonymous tip about Mohamad Barakat in July 2021. The statement says the tip expressed concern about his mental state and noted he had a significant number of firearms. The FBI forwarded the information to the Fargo Police Department. The statement says detectives interviewed Barakat, and he denied any ill intent. The FBI and Fargo police say no further action could be taken since there was no evidence of an imminent threat.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The heavily armed man who killed one Fargo police officer and wounded two as they were investigating a traffic stop earlier this month had been interviewed about his guns in 2021 after the FBI received a tip, but it was determined he had done nothing illegal and no further action was taken, authorities said Thursday (July 27, 2023).

In a statement in response to questions from The Associated Press, the FBI and Fargo Police Department said the FBI received an anonymous tip about Mohamad Barakat in July 2021 in which the tipster expressed concern about Barakat’s mental state, saying he had access to a “ significant number of firearms ” and had used threatening language.

The FBI forwarded the information to the Fargo Police Department. The statement says Fargo detectives made three visits to Barakat’s apartment over a two-week period. They didn’t make contact with him until the third visit, in which they observed several firearms in the apartment, but none were illegal, the statement said.

In an interview, Barakat “denied any ill-intentions,” according to the statement. “The FBI takes all tips and concerns brought to its attention seriously, especially those related to potential threats to public safety and well-being. As there was no evidence of any ongoing illegal activities or indications of an imminent threat, it was determined that no further action could be taken.”

Barakat killed Officer Jake Wallin, 23, and wounded Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes in an ambush after they responded to a routine traffic crash July 14. A woman was also shot and injured before another officer fatally shot Barakat, stopping what authorities believe could have been a much bigger attack.

A search of Barakat’s apartment after the shooting revealed that over the last five years, he had searched the internet for terms including “kill fast,” “explosive ammo” and “mass shooting events,” state Attorney General Drew Wrigley said last week. On the night before the shooting, Barakat also searched for “area events where there are crowds,” which brought up a news article with the headline “Thousands enjoy first day of Downtown Fargo Street Fair.”

Had Officer Zach Robinson not killed Barakat, 37, authorities said the attack might have been much worse. All evidence suggests Barakat came upon the traffic crash by coincidence and that his ambush was a diversion from his much bigger intended target, Wrigley said.

On the day of the attack, the downtown fair was in its second day and was less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the crash scene. It’s unclear if it was the intended target, though, as Barakat also searched for information on the Red River Valley Fair, which was just a 6-mile (10-kilometer) drive from the scene, the attorney general said.

After the shooting, police discovered Barakat’s car was loaded with guns, a homemade grenade, more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, three “largish” containers full of gasoline, plus two propane tanks, one completely filled and the other half-filled with homemade explosive materials, Wrigley said.

The rifle he used had a binary trigger that allowed it to fire so rapidly that it sounded like an automatic weapon, Wrigley said. A binary trigger is a modification that allows a weapon to fire one round when the trigger is pulled and another when it is released — in essence doubling a gun’s firing capacity.

The statement provided Thursday said the July 2021 tip came into the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center. The caller did not provide any details about any threats that Barakat might have made, and did not indicate that he had violated any laws.

Diana Freedman, an FBI spokesperson in Minneapolis, said the tip is what led to Barakat’s listing on the Guardian Threat Tracking System.

The FBI routinely opens what it refers to internally as assessments — the lowest level, least intrusive and most elementary stage of a terrorism-related inquiry — when it receives unconfirmed information about potentially suspicious behavior.

That information is catalogued in the Guardian system. During the assessment stage of an investigation, FBI agents are permitted to take certain basic investigative steps such as conducting online research or visual surveillance, but more sophisticated tools such as wiretaps cannot be undertaken without additional evidence of wrongdoing.

A Fargo city spokesperson did not respond to an email query from the AP regarding the 2021 police visit to Barakat.

Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski said previously that he believed police had some prior contact with Barakat “but not anything significant.”

Barakat was a Syrian national who came to the U.S. on an asylum request in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2019, Wrigley said, adding that Barakat had some family in the U.S. but not in the Fargo area. He appears to have no ties to the Muslim community in Fargo.

In recent years, Barakat amassed his arsenal. His internet searches about causing mayhem date back to 2018, with periods in which they abated before picking back up, the attorney general said. Nothing from online, Barakat’s phones, the community or his family suggested he had a hatred of the police, he said.

Wrigley said previously that it appears all of Barakat’s weapons were bought legally. He also said Barakat was wearing a vest that was “absolutely stuffed” with magazines and that he “was putting the finishing touches on his shooting skills in the last hours before this assault.”

Wallin, 23, was killed July 14 when a man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, multiple guns and explosives ambushed officers responding to a routine traffic crash. Two other officers and a civilian were wounded before a fourth officer returned fire, killing gunman Mohamad Barakat. Police said the actions of the fourth officer likely spared the city a bigger, bloodier attack.

Wallin, who had been sworn in as a Fargo police officer in April and was still in field training, was cremated in his uniform. On Saturday, the Fargo Police Department escorted his cremains to Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, for his funeral service, which was attended by loved ones, dignitaries and law enforcement agencies from across the country.

The police procession of 10 squad cars and three buses carrying department employees left Fargo early Saturday for Pequot Lakes. Dozens of people were at the memorial honoring Wallin at the site of the shooting as the procession went past, KFGO reported.

Wallin previously served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from November 2020 to July 2021, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard.

He received final military honors at a private interment.

“He served his country, came back here and wanted nothing more but to serve in a position with purpose and meaning — his exact words — and he did that,” Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski said at a media briefing after the shooting.

Zibolski on Saturday recounted Wallin’s impressive quality as a candidate in his officer interview last fall, how he excelled in the police academy, and strived for a job with meaning and purpose.

The chief shared that body-camera footage of the shooting showed Wallin “hurried to create distance, intuitively” after his fellow officers were hit, pulled his gun out and was taking aim at the gunman when he was fatally struck.

“His final act of valor was to selflessly face the shooter and attempt to neutralize him to save others,” Zibolski said. “His actions were valorous and exemplify the highest standards of the policing profession.”

Aunt Jodi Wallin recounted her nephew as “the little boy I adored who grew into the young man I admired and was oh so proud of.”

Wallin had recently purchased a house for himself and his fiancée, and “was so proud of becoming a new homeowner that he ran right out and bought himself a lawnmower and mowed his new lawn,” his aunt said.

“I remember him as a small boy with his little arms wrapped so tightly around my neck, burying his face into me to try to avoid the fireworks that he hated so much at that age,” she said. “From that timid, small boy, he grew to be a driven, ambitious, brave young man.”

Chaplain Jordan Helming, who served with Wallin in Iraq, recalled his dedication as a soldier and his positive personality amid a changing mission as well as restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Jake could see the big picture in life, and he realized that it took long, disciplined, steady efforts to get you to the top of the mountain,” Helming said.

Wallin’s parents received two Fargo police awards and the Minnesota Distinguished Service Medal in honor of their son at the service.

Law enforcement agencies from other states attended Wallin’s funeral. A caravan including Sioux Falls police and South Dakota Highway Patrol left Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on Friday to make the five-and-a-half hour trip for the funeral, KELO-TV reported.

Dignitaries at the funeral service included Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

A public memorial service is planned for Wednesday in Fargo. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will attend and give remarks, his spokesman said.

On Friday, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley provided more details about the attack, which also wounded Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes and bystander Karlee Koswick, who had been involved in the crash.

Barakat was a Syrian national who came to the U.S. on an asylum request in 2012 and became a U.S. citizen in 2019, Wrigley said.

Over the past five years, he had searched the internet for terms including “kill fast,” “explosive ammo,” “incendiary rounds,” and “mass shooting events,” Wrigley said.

Perhaps the most chilling search was for “area events where there are crowds,” which on July 13 brought up a news article with the headline, “Thousands enjoy first day of Downtown Fargo Street Fair.” On the day of the attack, the downtown fair was in its second day and was less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the crash scene.

Barakat also searched for information on the Red River Valley Fair, which was a 6-mile (10-kilometer) drive from the scene, the attorney general said.

Wrigley said Barakat had an “obvious motive to kill” and was driven by hate, but it was not directed toward any particular group — including the police.

Evidence suggests instead that Barakat came upon the crash by “happenstance” and his ensuing ambush was a diversion from his much bigger intended target, Wrigley said.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Details are emerging about a North Dakota shooting that killed a police officer and wounded others after a fender bender. Police plan to release more information Friday (July 21, 2023). Authorities say the man was armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, numerous firearms and a grenade last week when he drove by the routine collision on a busy street in Fargo. Mohamad Barakat killed the officer and wounded two others, as well as a woman involved in the crash. Authorities are wondering what further carnage he might have been planning. Officer Zach Robinson was the only officer who was not wounded. He fatally shot Barakat with bystanders crouched just feet away.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — It was a routine collision on a busy Fargo street. But after Mohamad Barakat drove past, armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, numerous firearms and a grenade, tragedy ensued.

After the shooting ended on July 14, 2023, one police officer was dead, and two other officers as well as a woman in the crash were wounded, leaving authorities wondering what further carnage Barakat might have been planning.

Officer Zach Robinson, the only officer in the melee who was not wounded, fatally shot Barakat with bystanders crouched nearby. More details are expected at a briefing Friday.

Barakat, a 37-year-old who briefly trained as an emergency responder at a nearby community college, had no criminal record. No social media presence.

But then he saw the collision. With police and firefighters tied up helping, Barakat began “stalking his way in and sizing up his opportunity,” North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley told reporters Wednesday in the most detailed update yet.

Barakat parked, watching for minutes until the officers walked away, about 15 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) from him. Then he lifted a .223-caliber rifle out of his car window and began firing in what Wrigley called “an absolute ambush” and “a murderous barrage of fire.”

The officers “had no time” to reach for their holstered guns with Barakat’s fusillade “so rapid,” Wrigley said.

Barakat, who lived in an apartment 2 miles (3 kilometers) away, was using a double-stacked magazine. He killed Officer Jake Wallin, 23, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard. The barrage also left Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes critically wounded.

Wallin and Hawes were so new that they were still undergoing field training.

Barakat also hit Karlee Koswick, who was involved in the traffic collision, with two rounds as she ran away.

Robinson, who was in the street about 75 feet (23 meters) away from Barakat, “was the last man standing between what was coming next and what you can see this assailant was armed for,” Wrigley said.

Robinson moved from behind a vehicle involved in the crash and fired at Barakat. One of his shots disabled Barakat’s rifle, leaving 20 rounds unused after the killer fired 40.

“We have three officers down; send everybody,” Robinson said over the radio, after moving closer and noticing the fallen officers.

A wounded Barakat lay on the ground protected by his car, waving a 9 mm handgun. Robinson moved closer, calling out 16 times for Barakat to surrender.

Robinson came around the vehicle and gave one last command to Barakat to put down the gun before shooting him, said Wrigley, who called Robinson’s use of deadly force “justified.”

Lasting about two minutes, the gunfight was still longer than most, Fargo Police Chief David Zibolski said. Wrigley noted Robinson fired approximately 30 rounds and had to stop to reload.

Zibolski said it might have been worse had there not been emergency crews already there, including an ambulance. As soon as the firing stopped, “firefighters bounced out and they were applying first aid immediately to our officers,” Zibolski said.

Before taking the drive, Barakat had rolled a weapons-filled suitcase from his apartment, Wrigley said. Inside his vehicle, investigators found the homemade hand grenade, as well as a vest with loaded magazines, more firearms and canisters of gasoline. There were more weapons back at his apartment.

“When you look at the amount of ammunition this shooter had in his car, he was planning on more mayhem in our community,” Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said.

The attorney general said he believes the violence could have been the beginning of a mass shooting as the Downtown Fargo Street Fair and the Red River Valley Fair were underway.

The police chief said Barakat “was obviously dead-set on some pretty horrific acts, targets unknown at this time.” Authorities have said a motive is unknown.

As the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI work on the case, the wounded are recovering, their conditions good or stable. Meanwhile, a funeral service is planned for Saturday for Wallin, whose body was cremated in his police uniform.

UNDATED (AP)- A man armed with 1,800 rounds of ammunition, a grenade and other explosives in his car unleashed a “murderous barrage of fire” as he ambushed officers who were investigating a routine crash, killing one and wounding two before a fourth stopped him and thwarted what authorities described as plans for further mayhem, officials said Wednesday (July 19, 2023).

Mohamad Barakat, 37, shot Officers Jake Wallin, Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes from inside his car on Friday, from about 15 to 20 feet away, before they could even reach for their guns, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said at a news conference. Wallin was killed while Dotas and Hawes remain hospitalized in critical condition. Wrigley said Barakat also shot and injured a bystander, who was trying to run away when she was hit twice.

But Officer Zach Robinson, who just happened to be nearby, “disabled” Barakat’s .223 -caliber rifle with a difficult shot from his own 9 mm handgun from about 75 feet (22.86 meters) away. Wrigley said Barakat — who was on the ground — then picked up a handgun and waved it around. As Robinson moved closer, he ordered Barakat to drop the gun 16 times, then killed him in a confrontation that lasted about two minutes, Wrigley said.

“In the wake of Mohamad Barakat’s murderous, unprovoked attack, Officer Zach Robinson’s use of deadly force was reasonable, it was necessary, it was justified, and in all ways, it was lawful,” Wrigley told reporters. “Mohamad Barakat engaged in a savage attack. … He unleashed what can only be described fairly as a murderous barrage of fire. But that isn’t to say it wasn’t precise. In fact, it was.”

Investigators found 1,800 rounds of ammunition, three long guns, four handguns, numerous ammo magazines, explosives, canisters with gasoline and a homemade hand grenade in Barakat’s car, he said. Officials released a photograph showing that eight of the magazines bore American flag stickers or decals.

Wrigley said Barakat also had a “shooting vest” that wasn’t bulletproof, but had magazines in every pocket, and he had a suitcase of weapons, which he had rolled out of his apartment right before getting into his car. There was no mention of whether Barakat had any protective gear.

“When you look at the amount of ammunition this shooter had in his car, he was planning on more mayhem in our community,” Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney said. Police Chief David Zibolski said Barakat’s target was unknown.

Wrigley provided the most detailed account yet that authorities have given about what happened during the gunfight. He said investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the attack on police but promised more details on the investigation at a news conference planned for Friday.

Wrigley said video evidence shows Barakat drove around and was nonchalant before opening fire.

“He’s casing the place up and stalking his way in and sizing up his opportunity and then parks there and spends minutes watching the officers and waits until they are literally walking,” Wrigley said. “That’s when he lifts his firearm out the window and begins firing. It was an absolute ambush. There’s no other way to describe that.”

Wrigley said Robinson displayed “absolute courage under fire” as he moved away from the cover of his vehicle and exchanged fire with Barakat, including a shot that “incapacitated” the suspect’s rifle — leaving roughly 20 rounds unused that could have been fired at other people. Robinson called in for help, and as he started approaching Barakat, he saw his colleagues were shot.

“He said, ‘We have three officers down. Send everybody,’” Wrigley said. “And send everybody they did.”

At some point Barakat was wounded, and was down on the ground, but he rearmed himself with a 9 mm handgun that he kept waving around, protected by his car, Wrigley said. Barakat continued to disobey Robinson’s repeated commands to drop his gun. Robinson continued to move in and gave him one final command.

“’Put down the gun,’ He does not. And the threat was neutralized by the officer,” the attorney general said.

Shortly after the shooting, authorities, including the FBI, converged on a residential area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and evacuated residents of an apartment building to gather what they said was related evidence. Wrigley said Wednesday that authorities found more firearms at the apartment.

The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI are still investigating.

The funeral service for Wallin, 23, is set for Saturday morning in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, according to an obituary. A private service will follow graveside at a cemetery in Nisswa, Minnesota.

Wallin served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from November 2020 to July 2021. He and Hawes were sworn in less than three months ago and were still in training when they responded to Friday’s crash.

Governors of Minnesota and North Dakota have directed U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Wallin through sunset on Saturday, and encouraged residents and businesses to do the same.

UNDATED (AP)- Many questions remained Sunday about what led a gunman in Fargo, North Dakota, to open fire on police officers as they were responding to a traffic crash. One officer was killed and two others were critically wounded before the gunman was killed by a fourth officer.

The shooting happened Friday afternoon (July 14, 2023) along a busy street, and roughly nine hours passed before authorities told the public that officers were shot. On Saturday, Fargo’s police chief released the names of the officers and the name of the gunman, but he said the motive was unclear and that the 37-year-old man opened fire for “no known reason at all.”

Chief Dave Zibolski also said little about how the situation unfolded, noting the investigation was in the hands of state and federal investigators.

“We are not in the position to provide many details in terms of the actual incident itself,” Zibolski said. Authorities released no new information Sunday.

Here’s what we know, and what we don’t, about the shooting:

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SCENE?

Police and fire officials were responding to a routine traffic accident on a busy street Friday afternoon when a gunman began firing multiple rounds at them — killing one and wounding two, Zibolski said. A fourth officer shot and killed the man, who authorities identified as Mohamad Barakat of Fargo.

Zibolski described the first few minutes as “very chaotic,” but he said that firefighters on scene and a nearby ambulance were essential in preventing additional fatalities. As soon as the firing stopped, “firefighters bounced out and they were applying first aid immediately to our officers,” Zibolski said, which “probably had a very significant impact on their survival.”

Authorities released few details about what happened in the moments before Barakat began firing, and his motive was not clear.

“The first thing we always want to know in a situation like this is, ‘Why?’ ” Zibolski said. “Why would somebody do this?”

WHAT DID WITNESSES SEE?

Among the drivers who witnessed what happened was Chenoa Peterson. She told The Associated Press on Saturday that a man appeared to have ambushed the officers. The gunman was at the rear of a car in a bank parking lot near the traffic crash when he fired on an officer not more than 20 feet (6 meters) away, she said.

“He was holding up the trunk of the car with his arm, and then I see the gun come up, and he set it on his shoulder and just pointed it directly at an officer in front of him,” Peterson said. “It was like 10 shots right away.”

Officers weren’t looking in the direction of the gunman when he began shooting, she said.

Peterson’s 22-year-old daughter was with her and said the suspect exchanged simultaneous gunfire with police.

“I saw them firing at each other both at once,” Katriel Peterson said. “But soon as the shooter took a break, the cop came walking towards him letting off round after round. There was already an officer down. And a family hiding just on the other side of the vehicle next to the shooter.”

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE FALLEN OFFICER?

Officer Jake Wallin, 23, was killed. Zibolski said Saturday that his wounds were fatal, and “there was nothing that could be done.”

A military veteran, Wallin served in the Minnesota Army National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq from November 2020 to July 2021, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota National Guard.

“His death is a loss to our military family,” said Army Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, the Minnesota National Guard’s adjutant general. “We are grateful for his commitment to others even in the face of danger.”

Wallin was sworn in as a Fargo officer in April, Zibolski said.

“He served his country, came back here and wanted nothing more but to serve in a position with purpose and meaning – his exact words — and he did that,” Zibolski said.

Zibolski spoke to his sense of humor and his excellence throughout training, calling him a member of the department family.

In video played at a Saturday news conference showing Wallin training with fellow recruits, he spoke of his desire to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“Throughout my entire life, I’ve always wanted to work in some sort of position that had purpose behind my job, and police officer is always what kind of came to me,” said Wallin of St. Michael, Minnesota,. “I don’t want to be sitting in an office wondering why I’m here every day. I want to be out. I want to be doing something that I can tell myself at the end of the day I made a difference somehow.”

Funeral arrangements have not been made public. The governor has ordered that flags be flown at half-staff on the day of Wallin’s interment.

HOW ARE THE OTHER VICTIMS?

Two other officers, Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes, were in critical but stable condition as of Saturday, and Zibolski said they were in “good spirits” but had significant recovery ahead of them. No update on their conditions was provided Sunday.

Wallin and Hawes were both young recruits, sworn in less than three months earlier and still in training when they responded to the scene. Dotus was a six-year veteran who was responsible for training officers.

A fourth officer, Zach Robinson, shot and killed Barakat, Zibolski said. As is Fargo Police Department procedure, Robinson was placed on paid administrative while state authorities complete an investigation into his use of force, spokesperson Katie Ettish said.

A 25-year-old female bystander also was injured in the shooting, though authorities haven’t said who shot her. A hospital spokesman said Sunday that she was in fair condition.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARD?

Shortly after the shooting, authorities, including the FBI, converged on a residential area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and evacuated residents of an apartment building to gather what they said was related evidence. Court documents that would indicate what authorities were looking for have not been made public. Authorities have said little about that search, other than to say it was happening at the time.

On Saturday, investigators were still at the apartment building, going back and forth from the third floor, where police tape hung across a hallway. Few residents were around, and an FBI truck was out front.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE SUSPECT

The city also has said little about Barakat or the gun he used. Zibolski said he believed police previously had some sort of contact with Barakat “but not anything significant.”

Zibolski said it does not appear that Barakat was involved in the car crash that brought officers to the scene. But he indicated investigators are determining whether this was a planned ambush of officers.

Zibolski said he was confident authorities would eventually understand Barakat’s motive and that the information would be made public at the appropriate time.

JULY 15, 2023:

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Police in North Dakota say one officer was killed and two others were critically injured in a shooting that also left the suspect dead on a busy Fargo street. In a statement issued late Friday night (July 14, 2023) police say a civilian also was seriously wounded in the shooting just before 3 p.m. Friday. Multiple witnesses say a man opened fire on police officers before other officers shot him. The Fargo Police Department did not provide a possible motive or the identities of the officers and the suspect. Police say more information will be provided at a press conference scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — One police officer was killed and two others were critically injured in a shooting that also left the suspect dead on a busy street in Fargo, North Dakota, police said.

A civilian also was seriously wounded in the shooting that happened just before 3 p.m. Friday (July 14, 2023), police said in a late-night statement that provided no details on how the shooting unfolded or on a possible motive. Many witnesses said they saw a man open fire on officers before other officers shot him.

One woman said she was driving when she saw the officers fall.

“I saw the traffic stop and as soon as I drove, shots were fired and I saw the cops go down,” Shannon Nichole told KFGO Radio. “My airbag went off and the bullet went through my driver’s door.”

The Fargo Police Department said the investigation is ongoing and authorities withheld the identities of the officers and the suspect pending notification of their families.

Fargo police plan to provide more details at a press conference at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, said Gregg Schildberger, the city’s chief communications officer.

“We sincerely are asking for your patience and our community’s patience and understanding as the Fargo Police Department works through this incident,” Schildberger said Friday evening.

“This is very difficult on all of us,” Schildberger said. “We appreciate all the messages from the community that have been given to us in support of our officers.”

Police initially said little about the shooting, calling it only a “critical incident” for nine hours. Early details emerged from witnesses, who said they saw the shooting or heard the sound of gunshots. Shortly after the shooting, officers converged on a residential area about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) away and evacuated residents while gathering what they said was related evidence.

Chenoa Peterson told The Associated Press that she was driving with her 22-year-old daughter when a man pulled out a gun and began firing at police: “He proceeds to aim it and you just hear the bullets go off, and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s shooting!’”

Peterson’s first instinct was to pull over and try to help, but having her daughter there convinced her to leave. “It’s weird knowing that if you were 10 seconds earlier you could have been in that,” she said.

Surveillance video provided by Fargo resident Allison Carlson captured the rapid sounds of gunfire.

Bo Thi was working alone at a nail salon near the shooting scene when she heard what sounded like fireworks or a motorcycle backfiring. She said gunshots didn’t cross her mind at the time.

Police and other agencies across the region posted sympathies for Fargo police on Facebook.

“Thinking of our brothers and sisters in Fargo,” a post from the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police said.

The Glenwood Fire Department in Minnesota posted, “Please keep the blue lights shining to show our support of not only our local law enforcement, but also those affected by todays events!”