Connect with us

Midwest

Suspects in foiled Halloween terror plot pictured practicing at Michigan gun range: FBI

Published

on

Suspects in foiled Halloween terror plot pictured practicing at Michigan gun range: FBI

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

FIRST ON FOX: Two Michigan men have been charged in a foiled ISIS-inspired terror attack that allegedly would have involved a massacre in a Detroit suburb on Halloween, according to an FBI affidavit.

Mohmed Ali, of Dearborn, Michigan, and Majed Mahmoud are accused of plotting to launch a terror-inspired mass shooting codenamed “pumpkin,” according to court documents. They’ve been charged with receiving, transferring and attempting to receive and transfer firearms knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that they would be used to commit terrorism.

Ali practiced shooting at a local gun range multiple times, including with Mahmoud, a juvenile suspect referred to as “Person 1” and under the alias “Athari” — and once with an unnamed “Co-conspirator 4,” according to the complaint.

The charges come after Amir Makled, a lawyer for Ali, who was arrested Friday, claimed to The Associated Press that there was no plot and that he did not expect charges to be filed. Makled did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital Monday.

Advertisement

FBI THWARTS ‘POTENTIAL TERRORIST ATTACK,’ ARRESTS MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN, PATEL SAYS

A split image shows still photos taken from surveillance video showing Mohmed Ali at a Michigan gun range. (Eastern District of Michigan)

The men appeared in court on Monday. 

William Swor, a defense attorney for Mahmoud, told reporters outside the courthouse he needed more time to review the complaint before commenting. But he said both defendants were 20 years old.

“Well, the complaint is 73 pages long,” he said, in response to multiple questions. “We haven’t had time to digest it or review it. There’s nothing to say at this point.”

Advertisement

WATCH: Defense attorney in thwarted Halloween terror attack addresses media outside federal courthouse

In one exchange, intercepted by law enforcement, according to an affidavit, the unnamed juvenile suspect allegedly insisted that the attack should take place on Halloween and not a later date.

“So ya, I talked to my brothers. We are going to do pumpkin,” he allegedly told Ali. “I talked to…[Co-conspirator 4] and [Co-conspirator 5], they said it is getting bad. So we got to do pumpkin, ya.”

Read the complaint:

Before they could act, however, authorities served federal search warrants on both men’s homes and a storage unit in nearby Inkster, recovering three AR-15-style rifles, two shotguns, four pistols and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, along with other evidence including GoPro cameras, tactical vests and other gear.

“With today’s unsealed criminal complaint, the American people can see the results of months of tireless investigative work where the FBI acted quickly and likely saved many lives,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. “We’ll continue to follow the facts, uphold the law, and deliver justice for the American people.”

Advertisement

DOJ BRINGS FIRST ANTIFA-RELATED TERRORISM CHARGES IN TEXAS ICE ATTACK

FBI agents search a home in Dearborn, Michigan, with alleged connections to the thwarted Halloween terror attack plot on Oct. 31, 2025. (WJBK)

The alleged plot began on Sept. 1 and was supposed to be launched against the public on Halloween, but federal authorities said they thwarted the attack.

“Thanks to the extraordinary diligence of our U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr., the FBI and state and local law enforcement officers, this plot was stopped before innocent lives were lost,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X Monday, after the charges were announced.

The complaint includes multiple unnamed co-conspirators who allegedly practiced shooting at ranges with Ali and Mahmoud. They also allegedly scouted potential attack locations in Ferndale, Michigan, a suburb north of Detroit known in part for its LGBT nightlife.

Advertisement

The scouting trip stood out to investigators as particularly suspicious because none of the suspects are over 21, according to the complaint.

This image taken from surveillance video shows Mohmed Ali, right, and alleged co-conspirator Majed Mahmoud on the left at a Michigan gun range. (Eastern District of Michigan)

MANCHESTER SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER ‘PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISLAMIC STATE,’ POLICE SAY

Ali and Athari, the juvenile suspect’s alias, were allegedly planning to do the “same thing as France,” in an alleged reference to the Nov. 13, 2015 ISIS attack in France that left 137 dead and more than 400 injured after gunmen and suicide bombers launched a coordinated assault on multiple locations in the French capital.

Surveillance video showed Ali, co-conspirator 5 and “Person 1,” also described as an unnamed juvenile suspect with the alias “Athari,” pictured at the gun range counter. The faces of Co-conspirator 5 and Athari have been redacted. (Eastern District of Michigan)

Advertisement

“Co-conspirator 1” allegedly met with Ali and Athari in late June and early July before traveling abroad. When he returned to the U.S., Customs and Border Patrol agents asked to review his phone — where they allegedly found Google searches involving “ISIS,” the “Islamic State” and selfies showing Co-conspirator 1 wearing tactical gear and holding weapons.

Although ISIS suffered a military defeat in 2019 at the hands of the U.S. and allied forces, the group continues to operate as a terror network, according to the complaint.

The accused conspirators allegedly shared Islamic extremist content on social media, including in WhatsApp group chats, Instagram and on Discord, and allegedly went to the father of a local “Islamic extremist ideologue” for advice after zeroing in on Halloween as the day to launch the attack.

FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill on May 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Ali and Mahmoud were both legally able to purchase firearms, and investigators allegedly uncovered numerous purchases of guns and modifications through bank records and his browsing history, according to the complaint.

The weapons included a 12-gauge Beretta A300 Ultima Competition shotgun, a Daniel Defense M4 V7 rifle, multiple models of 5.56 rifles from Palmetto State Armory, and a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol. They also bought more than 1,600 5.56 rounds and had it shipped to Mahmoud, according to the affidavit.

Read the full article from Here

Midwest

Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather

Published

on

Wild video shows federal agents detaining 2 men at Minnesota gas station as agitators gather

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Dramatic videos show federal Border Patrol agents taking two men into custody at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota, as agitators continue to taunt and disrupt authorities in the area.

The videos, posted to X on Sunday afternoon, quickly drew thousands of views and appear to show Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino ordering a crowd to move back as federal agents attempted to remove a man from a vehicle parked at the gas station. 

Multiple federal agents surrounded the parked vehicle as authorities repeatedly instructed bystanders to step back.

“Back up, guys, back up,” Bovino says in the video. “We’re going to back you on up for our safety and your safety… Stay there.”

Advertisement

GOV WALZ AUTHORIZES NATIONAL GUARD STAGING FOLLOWING FATAL ICE SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

The videos appear to show Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino ordering a crowd to move back as federal agents work to remove a man from a vehicle parked at the gas station. (FNTV)

Moments later, agents force a man wearing a brown jacket to the ground and place him in handcuffs as agitators shout and car horns blare in the background.

Three agents are then seen carrying the man away from the scene by his arms and one of his legs.

In another tense moment captured on video, a Border Patrol agent again orders bystanders to move back.

Advertisement

After a man appears to resist, the situation escalates as several agents tackle him and place him in handcuffs.

TOM EMMER PUSHES BACK ON SUGGESTION THAT MINNESOTA ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS HAVE BEEN PEACEFUL

Agents appear to force a man wearing a brown jacket to the ground and place him in handcuffs as agitators shout and car horns blare in the background. (FNTV)

He is then carried away by his arms and legs.

The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions in the Twin Cities following a fatal shooting Wednesday during a federal immigration enforcement operation, when 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent.

Advertisement

Federal officials said Good attempted to drive her vehicle toward agents during the encounter, a claim disputed by family members and some local leaders. 

ICE OFFICER WHO SHOT MINNESOTA WOMAN WAS DRAGGED BY CAR OF ILLEGAL ALIEN SEX OFFENDER MONTHS EARLIER

Videos appear to show federal Border Patrol agents taking two men into custody at a gas station in St. Paul, Minnesota. (FNTV)

The shooting led to agitators taking to the streets and heightened scrutiny of federal enforcement activity in the city, contributing to repeated confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and for U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Detroit, MI

Thompson: The new year brings a promising future for Detroit students

Published

on

Thompson: The new year brings a promising future for Detroit students


Detroit Public Schools Community District often gets a bad rap due to declining enrollment issues or longstanding challenges that led to the historic takeover of the school system before voters returned it to an elected board. 

And in many cases, that is the lens through which the school system’s performance is examined and viewed across the state. But there are hidden stories of progress within a school system that is still struggling to define itself and to give young Detroiters hope for a meaningful future. 

I saw that first-hand last week at Denby High School, part of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, on the city’s east side, where hundreds of young Black and Brown male students gathered in the basketball gym for the annual policing and prosperity forum. 

The annual event initiated and led by tenacious Detroiter Sharlonda Buckman, the district’s assistant superintendent for family and community engagement, is one of the hidden jewels of the public school system and brings together male students from various high schools to discuss their interaction with law enforcement. On the panel were senior and junior police officers from the Detroit Police Department, as well as the district’s public safety chief, Labrit Jackson, all of whom took hard questions from the students about how to navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system. 

Advertisement

Before the start of the forum, I met three students: 17-year-old Justin Montgomery, 17-year-old Exavier Ward and 16-year-old Wesley Lewis, all students of Denby. 

The three of them live on the east side and are serious and determined students who believe they have an obligation to be worthy ambassadors of their communities. 

“I just got a scholarship from Cleary University for track and field and cross country and I just signed the papers so I can be committed,” Ward told me. “I am excited for the new year and I’m ready to live my adult life.” 

His parents are also joyful about his future because, “out of all of my siblings, I’m going to be the first one to go to college. I want to major in cybersecurity,” he says. 

Montgomery is scouting Oakland University or Central Michigan University and is also interested in a trades school. He’s keeping his options open.

Advertisement

“I have been here for a while and I’m ready to get out of high school. The experience has been good for me,” he says. 

For Lewis, graduating in 2027 will make him the first in his family to be committed to college. That alone keeps him upbeat for the new year as he prepares for the challenges and the pressures of being an 11th grade student. 

“I’m really ready to go to college. I’m looking at Kentucky State University, Wayne State University and Michigan State University,” he says. “I probably would major in music in college because I currently play the piano. But sometimes I get nervous about college because I feel like it is going to be harder than high school.” 

These impressive young men speak to the vitality of the school system and the need to continue to nurture and support them.

The forum on policing and prosperity reinforces that need. 

Advertisement

“This forum is so important because we give the students an opportunity to have a voice and talk about the things that are important to them and how they interact with law enforcement,” says Marty Bulger, the district’s senior director of male mentoring.

“Even a more dynamic piece is the fact that because the city has seen a reduction in violent crime, we believe as we reach our young people, we will continue to see a decline. These young men are our future leaders.”  

 X (formerly Twitter): @BankoleDetNews

bankole@bankolethompson.com

Bankole Thompson’s columns appear on Mondays and Thursdays in The Detroit News.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Milwaukee, WI

Pregnant Milwaukee woman killed; suspect appears in court on arson charges

Published

on

Pregnant Milwaukee woman killed; suspect appears in court on arson charges


New details are emerging in the death of a pregnant woman found dead after a house fire investigators say was intentionally set, as the man charged in the case appeared in court.

What we know:

Advertisement

21-year-old Cameron Washington appeared Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where prosecutors outlined allegations tying him to the death of 22-year-old Gladys Johnson-Ball.

Washington faces six felony charges, including first-degree recklessly endangering safety and arson, all connected to the fire that broke out the night of Jan. 5.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Advertisement

According to the criminal complaint, Johnson-Ball was the mother of Washington’s 3-year-old daughter and was pregnant with another child at the time of her death. Investigators say Washington lived with Johnson-Ball and her family at a home near 26th and Locust.

Police were called to the home for reports of a person with a weapon. When officers arrived, they reported seeing flames on the second floor of the house. While clearing the home, officers found Johnson-Ball unconscious in a bedroom that was on fire. 

Advertisement

She was taken outside and pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators noted Johnson-Ball had bruises across her body and blood coming from her nose and mouth, according to the complaint.

The complaint says Johnson-Ball’s mother told police Washington and her daughter had been inside the bedroom together all day and that family members had been unable to reach her. She told investigators Washington would not allow anyone inside the room and pointed a gun at family members.

Advertisement

What they’re saying:

“He was blocking the door like, ‘No you not getting in here,’ then I turned around and that’s when he pointed the gun at my daughter Kayla,” said Michelle Johnson, the victim’s mother.

Advertisement

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

Family members told investigators the fire started moments later in the bedroom and Washington ran away from the house. He was later arrested, and police say a lighter was found in his pocket.

“Ultimately, this is extremely dangerous and deliberate behavior,” said Assistant District Attorney Anthony Moore.

Advertisement

Dig deeper:

In court, Washington’s bond was set at $100,000. Prosecutors said he could face more than 50 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Advertisement

Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey noted Washington has not yet been charged with homicide because the medical examiner’s report was not completed when charges were filed.

What’s next:

Washington’s next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Advertisement

The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.

Crime and Public SafetyMilwaukeeNews



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending