Two men have been charged with a terrorist plot to carry out a mass shooting over Halloween weekend in the US state of Michigan.
The suspects, Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmud, scouted potential locations in suburban Detroit and expressed support for the Islamic State group online, federal prosecutors said.
The third defendant, described in court documents as a juvenile, has not been named. Prosecutors said the alleged conspirators purchased semi-automatic weapons, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition and trained at a shooting range.
The defendants will appear in court in Detroit on Monday. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was a “major terrorist plot linked to ISIS.”
“According to the complaint, the subjects had multiple AR-15 rifles, tactical equipment and a detailed plan to carry out an attack on American soil,” she added.
The defendants are charged with handling a firearm and ammunition and having reasonable grounds to believe that the weapon would be used to commit the federal crime of terrorism.
The 73-page indictment filed by the Justice Department said the suspects canvassed the Ferndale suburb, home to numerous bars and restaurants, in September.
“Many clubs and bars in the area intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” court documents state.
According to court documents, federal agents raided addresses associated with Ali and Mahmoud and seized guns, ammunition, GoPro cameras and tactical vests.
Court documents named five people, but federal prosecutors named only Ali and Mahmoud.
US authorities say they began investigating members of the group last year.
The documents also say they obtained court warrants that allowed US officials to monitor phones, encrypted chats and social networks associated with these people. An FBI informant joined group conversations involving the suspects.
The indictment alleges that in recent days, the suspects used the word “pumpkin” when discussing the date of a potential attack.
“They talked about Halloween as a potential day for the attack they were planning, an attack that they understood could result in their death and martyrdom,” federal prosecutors said.
Pumpkin carving is a common part of Halloween celebrations in the United States.
The indictment alleges that Mr. Ali, Mr. Mahmud and an unidentified minor planned the crime on WhatsApp. Messages shared by the government show the three referencing a “date, thing” and saying things like “We're going to do this” and “I need to make a pumpkin for real.”
The BBC has contacted Ali's lawyer for comment on the newly released court documents. Over the weekend, the lawyer denied reports of the FBI raid and subsequent arrest.
“He did not plan or want to do anything and did not cause any harm to any member of the public at any time,” lawyer Amir Makled told CBS, the BBC's US partner, about his client.
