Terror over the weekend - stabbings, bombings and several IEDs discovered in US cities

'Muslims make too much trouble in this country.'

Two attacks were conducted and one dangerous threat was detected over the weekend in three separate cities across the United States.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - In Minnesota, a man walked casually into a mall then proceeded to stab nine people.

Each of the victims received non-life-threatening wounds, but all were forced to seek treatment at a nearby hospital.
   

The man reportedly asked one of the victims if they were Muslim before slashing the person and the St. Cloud Police Department reported he referenced Allah at least once during his rampage.

An off-duty officer shot him down and the attacker was pronounced dead at the scene.

The same evening, a homemade bomb was detonated in a Manhattan neighborhood, wounding 29 people.

Officials believe the bomb was created with a pressure cooker, wiring and a cellular phone, all of which was discovered in a dumpster.

After carefully reviewing footage taken from cameras too far away to provide clear images and extremely pixelated video, authorities took "a number of people" into custody in connection with the bombing.

Officials have named 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami a suspect. They are unsure if Rahami was influenced by militant groups or the ongoing issues in his home country of Afghanistan, but they remain suspicious of his motives and possible role in the explosion.

Authorities discovered his location Monday morning and engaged in a shootout, ending in Rahami's arrest.

As an extra precaution, New York Mayor, Bill de Blasio, deployed 1,000 officers and National Guard troops to patrol heavily populated public areas, such as bus terminals, subway stations and airports.

"I want New Yorkers to be confident when they go back to work on Monday that New York is up and running and we're doing everything that we need to do," he stated Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, as the U.S. reeled from the two Saturday attacks, the New Jersey town of Elizabeth witnessed a scare of their own on Sunday night.

A backpack with at least five improvised explosive devices (IED) was discovered in a trashcan outside a neighborhood pub.

Two men saw the backpack and thought it might contain something valuable, but when they opened it and saw wires and a pope, they alerted authorities.

According to CNN, Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage stated the bomb squad was deployed and a robot was sent in to disarm the IEDs.

"The robot that went in to disarm it, cut a wire and it exploded," Mayor Bollwage explained.

The remaining four devices were transferred, in protective cases, for FBI inspection.

No other trashcans in the area contained any suspicious items, but police were sent to comb the area to ensure public safety.

Though three attacks in three American cities within 24 hours of each other sounds suspicious, the FBI and Homeland Security have not discovered a connection.

Blasio stated: "We do not have any specific evidence of a connection, but that will continue to be considered. We're not taking any options off the table."

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