Perpetrator of 2016 attack at Ohio State acted alone: FBI

[Deeq A.]

A Somali immigrant who wounded 11 people in a car and knife attack at Ohio State University a year ago was influenced by the ideology of militant group Islamic State, but had no outside help in planning the violence, the FBI said on Wednesday.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan, 20, on Nov. 28, 2016, plowed into pedestrians with a car and then exited the vehicle to stab other victims, before a police officer at the campus shot him.

Artan, who was born in Somalia and became a lawful permanent U.S. resident, was pronounced dead at the scene in Columbus, the state capital.

Islamic State a day later claimed responsibility for Artan’s actions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation initially said Artan appeared to have been inspired by the group, but the agency at the time said it had found no evidence others were involved in planning the attack.

After a year-long investigation, the FBI said on Wednesday it had confirmed its initial assessment.

“The evidence from the extensive investigation indicates the perpetrator acted alone and was not directed by a terrorist organization,” the FBI statement said, adding that the agency’s investigation was complete.

A spokesman for the FBI could not be reached for further comment.

Ohio State officials marked the one-year anniversary of the attack on Tuesday with a solemn ceremony on campus.

A university spokesman said on Wednesday the school had no immediate comment on the FBI’s statement.

A Franklin County grand jury in Columbus ruled in May that no crime was committed when a police officer shot and killed Artan to end the attack.

County prosecutor Ron O‘Brien said at the time that an investigation by local police also found Artan acted alone.

Source Reuters