Mall security reported three black youths because they did not seem to be “acting in a normal manner for the guests who spend time in [Nickelodeon Universe].” A Bloomington police officer who responded to the incident noted that mall security said one of the youths was being “overly cooperative,” but that his answers did not […]

A Kuwaiti student was “nervously glancing around.” His backpack contained a Koran DVD bought from a book store in the mall. He was afraid of the K-9 officer’s dog.  

“For all the 30 years that I have lived in the United States, I’ve never been a suspect,” said Emil Khalil. The California man was confronted at the mall in June 2009 for taking pictures, and he said an FBI agent later questioned him and his brother, Sameer, at the airport. “And I’ve never done […]

Morteza Razaviein, an Iranian national who’s now 62, went to the Mall of America last year to see if it was as impressive as he had heard.  He had come to the United States for the first time to visit his son, a student at the University of Minnesota. He was videotaping near the Nordstrom […]

Two “Middle Eastern” men with a camera and possible “radar gun” watched airplanes from the parking lot. They left without being questioned.  

Personnel stopped a man taking photos of mall security. He stated he was a psychologist who photographed uniforms because of the authority they depicted.  

Mall parking attendants reported two vans with suspicious printed material on seats, including “The House of Yahweh Newsletter” and a book with a photo of an exploding building on the front cover. The occupants were observed changing their shirts before locking the vehicles and departing in an airport van with their suitcases. The K-9 unit, […]

In the wake of 9/11 , the U.S. government radically rethought how it ensures the safety of its citizens. From 2003 to 2011, Congress poured money into the newly created Department of Homeland Security, which grew from a handful of employees to thousands upon thousands. The boost in homeland security spending was aimed at aggressively […]

Mall parking attendants reported two vans with suspicious printed material on seats, including “The House of Yahweh Newsletter” and a book with a photo of an exploding building on the front cover. The occupants were observed changing their shirts before locking the vehicles and departing in an airport van with their suitcases. The K-9 unit, […]

In May 2009, two black men visiting the Mall of America drew the suspicions of a mall security employee as they strolled through the attractions with a video camera. The security guard followed them, noting their locations and alleged actions and calling in two more security guards before stopping the men for questioning. This animation […]