Around 12:00 p.m. this past Sunday, surveillance video from a mosque in Mankato shows a man approaching a fence in front of the house of worship, and using a firecracker to try and start a fire.
The wet conditions snuffed it out and a worshiper inside the mosque eventually chased the man away.
"Community is already on edge. When these things happen, people become even much more concerned," Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations says. "Minnesota is leading the nation in arson attacks and violent attacks against mosques. We've now had three mosques that have been completely destroyed by fire and arson."
However, Mankato Police have said there is no threat to the mosque and they're not investigating the case.
"The person is seen lighting what has been determined to be two bottle rockets," a statement from police reads. "The fireworks went off into the sky without hitting or damaging anything. Authorities have no reason to believe that the Islamic Center was targeted and there is no investigation."
This would be the 40th attack on a Minnesota mosque over the three years and CAIR is calling on the public to help with any information.
While there were no injuries or property damage, Hussein says they are still concerned.
"The community is on edge, as far as hoping to learn more about what really happened here, who this individual is," says Hussein. "And obviously making sure that he is held accountable for this attempt of arson."
Hussein says more area mosque's are using security cameras to help prevent future attacks.
In August, Minneapolis police raised the alarm after repeated threats against Minneapolis mosques. 14 threatening phone calls were made to the Dar Al-Qalam Islamic Center along with a text message sent to a mosque employee containing a video of the 2019 New Zealand Christchurch mosque shootings.
Also, in April of 2023, Minneapolis Police investigated two fires at local mosques they thought were connected.