The 18-year-old Somali refugee who drove a car into a group of fellow Ohio State students — and then slashed at them with a butcher knife — likely received “inspiration” by watching al-Awlaki and ISIS videos, the FBI said Wednesday.
Agent Angela Byers said the FBI is examining a Facebook posting by Abdul Razak Ali Artan, in which he rants that some Muslims in the United States belong to a sleeper cell and are waiting for a signal to attack.
“We are trying to determine the authentication,” Byers said of the post.
Meanwhile, the agency said it was able to track the purchase of knife Artan bought at Wal-Mart the morning of the attacks.
Officials have confirmed that Somalian-born Artan, a full-time student who also held down a job at Home Depot, had immigrated to the U.S. in 2014.
ISIS on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack, but the FBI said it still couldn’t verify the terrorist organization’s boast.