Last September, why did 22-year-old Dahir Adan get dressed in a security guard uniform, enter the Crossroads Center shopping mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and — while shouting “Allahu Akhbar” — start stabbing victims?

After asking them if they were Muslims?

According to one senior FBI official in Minneapolis interviewed by the Associated Press, we may never know his true motive:

FBI agent: Minnesota mall stabbing investigation is ongoing, authorities may never know what attacker was thinking. https://t.co/HbryyRzVkW pic.twitter.com/tG7cJlUtGb — AP Central U.S. (@APCentralRegion) February 17, 2017

I began reporting on this terror attack here at PJ Media as victims were still being treated on the scene:

Mass Stabbing at Mall in St Cloud, Minnesota: Suspect Asked Victims in They Were Muslim Per Local Police https://t.co/iZR097dGwX — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) September 18, 2016

Perhaps one of the first investigatory clues to uncovering Adan’s motive: within a few hours, the ISIS Amaq agency released a statement claiming the attack by a “soldier of the Islamic State”:

English-language version of Amaq's (#IS) claim: Islamic State "soldier" was responsible for Minnesota stabbings. pic.twitter.com/8W4UpWktq2 — Thomas Joscelyn (@thomasjoscelyn) September 18, 2016

And over the next few weeks, ISIS again made repeated claims about inspiring the attack:

Earlier this week, ISIL's Rumiyah magazine — published in several languages — listed Dahir Adan's stabbings as only recent American attack pic.twitter.com/ZTCxZWTaR5 — Stephen Montemayor (@smontemayor) October 6, 2016

ISIS again claims Minnesota mall attack in Rumiyah #2 pic.twitter.com/L15zxSb3ff — DrRustyShackleford (@mypetjawa) October 4, 2016

ISIS even touted Adan’s example to motivate further stabbing attacks in the U.S.:

https://twitter.com/Bridget_PJM/status/783543359575040001

ISIS supporters were also identifying the attack with the terror group.

A few days after the attack, FBI Director James Comey said that Adan had appeared to be inspired by an “extremist ideology”:

FBI Director James Comey says that Dahir Adan appears to have been inspired by extremist ideology. | https://t.co/0336Rbhyiw pic.twitter.com/0dsJ4XHZY3 — WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) September 28, 2016

What extremist ideology? Well, since the FBI director didn’t specify what “extremist ideology” that may have been, we may never know. But as I reported at the time, the far-Left Minneapolis Star Tribune immediately had an idea of what the ideological motivation behind the attack was — “anti-Muslim tensions”:

St. Cloud has been a hot spot for anti-Islam sentiment https://t.co/bywau5WmBZ — Star Tribune (@StarTribune) September 19, 2016

Minneapolis Star-Tribune Blames "Anti-Muslim Tensions" for St. Cloud Mass Stabbing by "Sold… https://t.co/UMDa3SX37d #homelandsecurity — PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) September 19, 2016

Remarkably, the Star Tribune didn’t even mention Adan’s name in that report, and the article was written in such a passive voice one could have been left with the impression that the attack was motivated by an anti-Muslim bigot looking to target Muslims.

Now, we’ve seen this media agnosticism in response to domestic terror attacks before, for instance, in Orlando last June:

Hey <i>New York Times</i>, Here's What We Know About Orlando Killer's Motive https://t.co/0VAhwXtUj3 #homelandsecurity — PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) June 16, 2016

But there appeared to be more investigative clues that may possibly have given investigators some direction to the would-be killer’s motive even early on:

BREAKING: St. Cloud mall stabbing attack suspect referenced Allah during attack, asked at least 1 victim if they were Muslim before assault — Steve Tellier (@SteveTellierPR) September 18, 2016

St. Cloud PD Chief Blair Anderson said suspect referred to "Allah"before stabbing 8. Off duty police killed suspect: https://t.co/TWTZOVK6TJ — Scripps National News (@ScrippsNational) September 18, 2016

A few weeks later when the FBI updated the media on the investigation, releasing video of the attack, there appeared to be some confirmation of those earlier investigatory clues:

FBI Releases Video, New Details in Minnesota Mall Terror Attack By Somali Refugee Dahir Adan https://t.co/NOfrI0PSfl — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) October 6, 2016

Adan was armed with two knives, asked some of his victims if they were Muslim. — Jennifer Brooks (@stribrooks) October 6, 2016

Video of Adan attacking a clerk in Unique Electronics, after asking if he was Muslim. pic.twitter.com/kQIxTrUR76 — Jennifer Brooks (@stribrooks) October 6, 2016

Why Adan would be asking his victims if they were Muslim went unanswered. The best that media could surmise about his possible motive was a return to Comey’s “extremist ideology” explanation — but some attention was directed towards “religion” generically as well:

In recent months, Adan became interested in religion, lost interest in things he used to enjoy, flunked out of school. — Jennifer Brooks (@stribrooks) October 6, 2016

FBI: in mnths bfore the stabbing Adan showed new "interest" in religion, w/drew from friends, went frm being excellent student 2 failing 2/3 — Abigail Hauslohner (@ahauslohner) October 6, 2016

Fortunately, some media outlets, such as with this CBS News/Associated Press report, began digging just to find out what religion the FBI may have been referring to:

FBI: Minnesota mall attacker newly interested in Islamhttps://t.co/Aq8TXSHC4e — CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) October 6, 2016

The stabbings at a central Minnesota mall last month that wounded 10 likely was premeditated by the attacker, who may have become radicalized recently, federal authorities said Thursday. Dahir Ahmed Adan became interested in Islam in the last several months, withdrew from his friends and encouraged his sisters to be more religious, FBI Special Agent Rick Thornton said at a news conference. Witnesses told investigators that 20-year-old Adan yelled “Islam, Islam” and “Allahu akbar,” as well as asking several people whether they were Muslim before stabbing them during the Sept. 17 attack, which started outside Crossroads Center mall before moving inside. “We were told Adan had not previously shown an interest in religion. Adan also encouraged some female relatives to become more religiously observant,” Thornton said, adding that investigators continue to analyze Adan’s digital footprint, including his social media and online activity, and are trying to obtain permission to unlock his smartphone. FBI Director James Comey said last week it appeared Adan was at least partly inspired by extremist ideology. Thornton also said that Adan went from being a high academic performer to failing out of college “almost overnight” after taking an increased interest in Islam.

Raising the issue of Adan’s Islamic faith may reflect efforts by over-zealous, Islamophobic FBI agents trying to implicate all Muslims for this attack.

That may be something for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) to look into, but Adan’s family claimed he was innocent, and other groups, including Black Lives Matter, said the shooting was unjustified.

Family of St Cloud stabber tells community leader Dahir Adan was headed to Mall Sat to pick up a preordered iPhone 7 @wcco 5 and 6 pm — esme murphy (@esmemurphy) September 19, 2016

Members of the Somali Community marching on 33rd Ave demanding the tapes of Dahir Adan be released. pic.twitter.com/wrXKN99BS2 — KWQC Rebecca David (@RebeccaDavidTV) September 26, 2016

Others questioned whether he had any connections to the Islamic State at all, despite their claims:

https://twitter.com/Taaraay_/status/778402843728355328

So with all this ambiguity out there and only a few clues, possibly unrelated, to go on, the FBI may be correct: we may never know what motivated Dahir Adan in this attack.

All the public can do is let the FBI continue its investigation.