Two suspects face federal charges Monday in connection with what authorities said was an alleged terrorist attack planned for Halloween weekend in Michigan.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced in a post on X last week that the FBI arrested five people who were “allegedly planning a violent attack over Halloween weekend.” Only two were charged in a 73-page criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud are charged with receiving and transferring, and attempting and conspiring to transfer, firearms and ammunition, knowing and having reasonable grounds to believe that the firearms and ammunition would be used to commit a federal terrorism crime.
They are expected to appear in court Monday afternoon.
According to the complaint, Ali and an unidentified minor were referenced in third-party communications from July to October of this year. The conversations indicated that the “brothers” planned to carry out an attack on behalf of the Islamic State terrorist group.
Ali allegedly purchased a shotgun, an AR-15-style rifle and other firearms accessories in August and September, at the same time conversations with third parties referenced an attack, according to the complaint.
One of the accessories he purchased was a “force reset trigger that allows the shooter to increase the rate of fire on a semi-automatic weapon,” the complaint alleges.
Mahmoud also allegedly purchased an AR-15-style rifle in September and then purchased more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition a month later, according to the complaint.
The two men and the minor practiced shooting at multiple shooting ranges in September and October, according to the complaint.
They and two other alleged conspirators allegedly used encrypted communications and social media applications “to share extremist and ISIS-related materials that encourage attacks similar to those they planned,” according to the complaint.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
