(FARGO) – Nearly a year before 37-year-old Mohamad Barakat shot and killed Fargo Police Officer Jake Wallin, injured two officers and a bystander, before being killed by a Fargo Police Officer, authorities had contact with the suspect.
The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, in a Wednesday report, noted Fargo firefighters were called to Barakat’s Ninth Avenue South apartment on September 6, 2022. The report began as smoke – but quickly escalated once firefighters entered the apartment. They quickly called for Fargo Police after their discovery inside the apartment.
The Forum reports that Fargo Fire Department Battalion Chief Jason Ness noted, in his report, a ‘significant’ amount of gun ammunition in the apartment. Other firefighters pointed Ness towards the bedroom, where a 20-pound propane cylinder was found next to the bed. Multiple ‘assault style’ rifles were located within view, along with a propane tank in the kitchen, located next to the stove. A funnel, blender and items for measuring purposes was also found, the Forum noted from the report.
When Fargo Police arrived on scene, the report said they interviewed Barakat, who stated he owned 10 guns and six thousand rounds of ammunition.
Fargo Police eventually determined that ‘everything was legal,’ the Forum reported.
