North Dakota cop killer may have planned larger attack with grenades and modified gun: authorities

A man who killed a North Dakota police officers and shot two others and a civilian, searched online for "explosive ammo" and looked for crowded events before the shootings.

Mohamad Barakat opened fire July 14 on Fargo police investigating a minor collision, killing 23-year-old Officer Jake Wallin and wounding officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes, along with driver Karlee Koswick, before a fourth officer fatally shot him, and investigators believe that stopped additional attacks he intended to carry out, reported the Associated Press.

“We have three officers down, send everybody,” said Officer Zach Robinson, who shot Barakat as bystanders crouched nearby in fear.

State attorney general Drew Wrigley said Barakat had searched online listings for events that might attract crowds, and investigators believe he may have been targeting the Downtown Fargo Street Fair and the Red River Valley Fair that were underway at the time.

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Barakat was driven by hate and had searched up "fast kill," among other macabre terms, but investigators don't believe he was targeting any specific groups or individuals.

After the two-minute shootout, in which Robinson fired about 30 rounds, investigators found a homemade hand grenade, a vest with loaded magazines, additional firearms and canisters filled with gasoline inside Barakat's vehicle.

“When you look at the amount of ammunition this shooter had in his car, he was planning on more mayhem in our community,” said Fargo mayor Tim Mahoney.

Barakat's gun was outfitted with a binary trigger, which is legal in North Dakota and allows firearms to shoot one bullet when the trigger is pulled and another when it releases, and empties a 30-round magazine in about three seconds.