Two 20-year-old men who had acquired high-powered weapons and practiced at gun ranges were scouting LGBTQ+ bars in suburban Detroit in September for a possible Halloween attack, authorities said Monday in filing terrorism-related charges.
Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud, and co-conspirators were inspired by the Islamic State group’s extremism, according to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court. Investigators say a minor, identified only as Person 1, was deeply involved in the discussions.
The FBI said the men repeatedly referred to “pumpkins” in their conversations, a reference to a Halloween attack. The court filing states that Person 1, the minor, regularly consulted the father of a “local Islamic extremist ideologue” about when to commit a “good deed.”
The criminal complaint doesn’t specifically say why Ferndale was a target, though the man who attacked the LGBTQ+-friendly Pulse Nightclub, killing 49 people in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
Ferndale, which is just north of Detroit, attracts tens of thousands of people to its annual Pride parade. Former Mayor Dave Coulter, who is gay, said it was “disturbing” to hear about the alleged plot.
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