Ohio State attacker faulted ‘moderate’ Muslims in note

COLUMBUS, OHIO — The man responsible for a car-andknife attack at Ohio State University last year left behind a torn-up note in which he urged his family to stop being “moderate” Muslims and said he was upset by fellow Muslims being oppressed in Myanmar.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan also told his parents in the note, reassembled by investigators, that he “will intercede for you in the day of Judgment,” according to the investigative case file of the attack.

“My f a mily s t op bei ng moderate muslims,” says the handwritten note transcribed by investigators and found by Artan’s bed in his family’s apartment.

Artan also wrote: “In the end, I would like to say that I pledge my allegiance to ‘dawla,’” an Arabic word that means state or country and a likely reference to the Islamic State group. “May Allah bless them.”

Artan’s family was baffled by that note, which caused them a great deal of anguish, said Bob Fitrakis, a Columbus attorney representing the family. To this day, the family has no idea why Artan took those actions, he said Thursday.

“The family is mystified by what happened. They’re absolutely clueless,” Fitrakis said.

The 18-year-old Artan was shot and killed by an Ohio State officer moments after driving into a crowd Nov. 28 and then attacking people with a knife, leaving 13 injured.

In a series of Facebook rants, Artan nursed grievances against the U.S. He posted those comments three minutes before the attack began, according to an unclassified FBI report.