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The alleged attacker, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, was killed by police, but not before driving a car into a group of people and then attacking victims with a butcher’s knife on Monday, said Monica Moll, public safety director at Ohio State, The USA Today reports.
FBI agents had joined local police in investigating the incident.
Eleven people were injured; all are expected to survive.
Artan was born in Somalia and living in the United States as a legal permanent resident. Investigators discovered a message he posted on a Facebook page before the attack in which he expressed anger about the treatment of Muslims around the world, according to reports from multiple news outlets, citing unidentified law enforcement officials.
Artan was enrolled at Columbus State Community College from the fall semester of 2014 through the summer semester of 2016, according to college spokesman Allen Kraus.
He graduated with an Associate of Arts degree in the spring of 2016 and then took a non-credit class for summer 2016. He had no record of behavioral or disciplinary issues during his time at Columbus State and graduated with honors, Kraus added.
Ohio State Police Chief Craig Stone said that Artan was alone during the attack and that police were still trying to determine the motive of the attack. Ohio State officials said the quick action of Officer Alan Horujko, who fatally shot Artan, prevented more people from being injured in the incident.
“We can prove to you that the suspect was by himself in the vehicle and committed this act by himself today,” Stone said. “It’s an ongoing investigation to determine motive and if anybody else was involved in this act.”
Columbus Police Chief Chief Kim Jacobs, whose officers also responded to the attack, said terrorism had not been ruled out. “That’s why our federal partners are here and helping,” she said.
