FARGO, ND – Federal search warrant applications previously sealed for the residence and garage of the man who ambushed Fargo Police officers last summer, fatally shooting one and seriously injuring two others, have been unsealed, providing new details about the investigation. The documents include the report of an interaction of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office with Mohamad Barakat just weeks prior to the July 14 incident.
Barakat shot and killed Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin and seriously wounded Officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes along with Karlee Koswick, a woman who was on scene after being involved in a minor car crash. The officers were investigating the crash when Barakat ambushed them.
The warrant applications cite two previous local law enforcement engagements with Barakat, including a tip from a woman in Minnesota who worried Barakat might become a mass shooter, and an incident in which the Cass County Wildlife Club alerted the Cass County Sheriff’s Office that Barakat had been using a binary explosive at the club’s gun range.
The applications also detail items observed at the shooting scene, including a student ID and driver’s license in Barakat’s name, multiple firearms, ammunition, gasoline or propane containers, and a container labeled Tannerite.
The search of Barakat’s residence found three long guns and one pistol, as well as an extensive cache of ammunition and hobby fuses used to create delays in the firing of explosive devices. The search of his garage found a modified grenade and two propane tanks. An x-ray of the tanks showed what bomb technicians called a “powder line.” The detonation created significant blast zones with large amounts of scattered shrapnel.
The applications provide new insight into the events leading up to the ambush and the arsenal of weapons and explosives found in Barakat’s possession.
It also sheds light on the measures taken by law enforcement to locate and secure the dangerous arsenal potentially linked to a mass shooting. The documents reveal an extensive investigation into the activities and materials connected to the deadly attack on Fargo Police officers.
Ultimately, the unsealed warrant applications offer a comprehensive overview of the ongoing investigation into the July 14 incident, providing crucial information about the events leading up to the ambush and the deadly outcome that ensued.