DODOMA (SD) – The attacker of Wednesday shooting in Dar es Salaam town, Tanzania’s second largest commercial town was once al-Shabaab fighter in central Somalia, Somali Dispatch can authoritatively confirm.

Sources to spoke to Somali Dispatch confirmed that Hamza Hassan Mohamed, 30-year-old man whose records indicate he was born on November 17, 1991 travelled to a while back from Somalia.

Mohamed was to meet the brother whose name did not disclose in Galmudug state. According to the sources, the brother was later killed in an area near Elbur town of Galgaduud region.

Two of Mohamed’s brothers and mother reportedly arrested by security forces in a town on the border between Tanzania and Zambia where they had been living.

Mohamed’s attack on Wednesday claimed lives of four people including three police officers and a security guard after opening fire at security checkpoint near French Embassy.

In a security alert, the U.S. Embassy warned Americans to avoid the area.

The clash occurred not far from the scene of the 1988 bombing at the U.S. Embassy.