They talked online about carrying out an ISIS-style terror attack. They went to a shooting range with Kalashnikov rifles, practiced changing magazines quickly, and mentioned “Pumpkin Day.” Then the authorities moved in.
Two men were arrested Friday in Michigan and three others were detained for questioning after the FBI said it had foiled a planned terror attack for Halloween weekend.
The FBI operation in Dearborn
FBI agents raided a house in Dearborn, a Detroit suburb once called “the jihad capital of America.” At the same time, agents searched a storage unit in nearby Inkster. Two law enforcement officials told CNN the plot was inspired by ISIS and organized through online chat rooms.
An undercover FBI agent joined one of those chat rooms early in the discussions. The investigation began several months ago after the first online exchanges.
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FBI agents in the U.S. city with the largest Muslim population
(Photo: Jeff Kowalsky / AFP)
“They communicated online with each other and with people linked to ISIS outside the United States,” CNN reported. “They discussed how to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack in the U.S., but it is unclear what the exact plan was, where it would take place, or what the target was. They considered several options.”
Earlier this week, several suspects under surveillance went to a shooting range with Kalashnikov rifles. They fired many rounds, practiced rapid magazine changes, and reportedly mentioned “Pumpkin Day,” likely a reference to Halloween. That prompted the FBI to launch an open investigation and carry out the arrests.
Some of the arrests took place in Dearborn, which has the largest Muslim population in the United States and is home to the biggest mosque in North America. The city’s mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, who has often criticized Israel, previously condemned a Wall Street Journal article that described Dearborn as “the jihad capital of America.” He said it led to “a troubling rise in Islamophobic rhetoric” and ordered increased police patrols.
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office in Alabama, working with the FBI, said it had stopped a separate planned attack targeting synagogues and Jewish institutions in that state and nearby ones.
Jeremy Wayne Shoemaker, 33, was arrested after multiple warnings about “credible and immediate threats.” Police said they found numerous weapons in his home, including suitcases filled with ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and other equipment showing detailed planning. Authorities said Shoemaker admitted he did not intend to “be taken alive,” and that evidence indicated he also planned to target elected officials.