Ohio uni attack ‘inspired by ISIS’ as it’s revealed machete wielding killer bought ANOTHER knife in Washington
Abdul Razak Ali Artan visited the city last week to get a weapon at Home Depot, before buying a blade in a local Walmart, as number injured rises to 13
FBI agents looking into why a student at Ohio State University went on a knife wielding rampage say the attack was most likely "inspired by ISIS."
The announcement was made at a press conference in Columbus on Wednesday as they confirmed the number of people injured had risen to 13.
Abdul Razak Ali Artan, 18, who was a Somali refugee, and practicing Muslim, was shot dead after he went on a rampage on the campus on Monday, smashing a car into a group of people before assaulting his victims with a huge blade.
He was living in the US as a legal permanent resident.
The news came as it was also revealed he travelled to Washington, D.C. late last week and bought another knife at Home Depot.
However it is not known if it was the same one which was used in Monday's ambush.
Law enforcement officials told Artan bought another knife at a Walmart in Columbus the morning before he drove onto campus.
He dropped his siblings off at school before going to make his purchase
Investigators are still looking into why he went to US capital days before the attack.
One told the news network: "It's a mystery at this point.
"Was he planning to do something here? Was it something else? We simply don't know."
However despite drawing a possible link between ISIS and the killings, Angela Byers, special agent in charge for the FBI's Cincinnati division said it was still " too soon to draw any type of conclusions about whether or not this is terrorism."
Artan posted a number of social media rants before his attack which were related to his faith which the FBI are also looking into.
In one he referred to radical cleric Anwar Awlaki which laid into America and accused the country of "interfering" with other nations.
One post said: "I am sick and tired of seeing my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters being killed and tortured EVERYWHERE,' it stated. 'I can't take it anymore.
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"America! Stop interfering with other countries, especially Muslim Ummah (communities)... [if] you want us Muslims to stop carrying lone wolf attacks.'
"We are not weak, remember that."
FBI agent Byers said: "It appears that Artan may have at least been inspired by Anwar Awlaki and the Islamic State in the Levant [ISIS] and we will continue to pursue this as part of the investigation."
She added they were investigating all of his electronic devices, and also interviewing his family members.
The announcement comes after it was revealed the knife-wielding student revealed in an interview just months before his attack as a practicing Muslim he felt too scared pray in public.
Speaking to the Ohio State University newspaper, Abdul Razak Ali Artan said he feared for his safety.
He told : "If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don’t know what they’re going to think, what’s going to happen.
His comments appeared in the August edition, in an article entitled: "Humans of Ohio State.”
Artan had just transferred from a community college, where he said there were prayer rooms for Muslim students, but didn't know if there was any such facility on campus.
In the article, Artan said: “I am a Muslim, it’s not what the media portrays me to be.” and went on to say he didn't blame people for their views.
He added he when he did decide to pray he was “kind of scared" but "just did it."
Authorities have also reportedly raided an address associated with the suspect and identified a Facebook post in which he made a 'declaration'.
The 13 who were injured in the attack were named as: Marc Coons, Katherine Schultz, Anthony DiCocco, Kristopher Waninger,, Theron Ellinger, Pavel Sergeev, William Clark, Anderson Payne, Keria Straughsbaugh, Kaylee Hoffner, , Elizabeth Sturges, Linda Rager and Max Wieneke.
Officials said none of those wounded after being struck by the car or stabbed, have life-threatening injuries and most of them were released from local hospitals within one day.
The cop who shot and killed the fanatic has been named as Alan Horujko – a 28-year-old who only joined the university’s police force in January 2015.
Columbus deputy police chief Richard Bash said one person was struck in the foot by a bullet shot by Horujko,
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