An American jihadi allegedly called for Charlie Hebdo-style attacl at a Texas 'draw Muhammad' event more than a week before it was attacked by two gunmen.
Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, a 25-year-old fighter with the Al Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia,
is thought to have posted messages urging violence against the event in the city of Garland, pre-empting the eventual attack.
The two armed men were shot dead by security after they opened fire outside the Muhammad Art Exhibit event, where participants were told to draw the Islamic prophet - considered blasphemy by his followers - for the chance of a $10,000 prize.
Hassan is believed to have posted a message on Twitter calling for the violence on April 23.
A twitter account believed to be his wrote:
'The brothers from the Charlie hebdo [sic] attack did their part.
It's time for brothers in the #US to do their part.'
This was followed by a hyperlink to a news story describing the event, which took place at Garland's Curtis Culwell Center Sunday night.
The account which posted the message was named Mujahid Miski, believed to be Hassan's jihadi alias.
According to the International Business Times,
Hassan lived in Washington state and Minnesota before leaving the United States in 2008 to join Al Shabaab in Somalia.
The paper noted that he also posted frequent messages in support of ISIS on his account and is thought to be involved in radicalizing and recruiting other would-be militants.
Elton Simpson and another gunman stormed the event in
Garland, Texas on Sunday night and were both killed by police.
former terror suspect shot dead by police on Sunday after he and another gunman stormed an anti-Islam art contest in Texas had said he intended to
'fight to the death' for Allah.Elton Simpson, from Phoenix, Arizona, was killed outside the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland after a security guard was shot during a controversial competition for the best caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.
Court documents have now revealed that
Simpson, who was born in Illinois before moving to Phoenix and converting to Islam,
was well known to the FBI.
In 2010,
he was convicted of lying to federal agents about his plans to travel to Somalia, where they suspected he planned to join a terror group.