Idaho
'Craving for mayhem and murder': Idaho teen arrested by the FBI for providing support to ISIS
The FBI arrested an Idaho teenager on April 6 for providing material support and resources to ISIS, according to a Justice Department statement.
According to the FBI, Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, pledged allegiance to ISIS and intended to commit attacks on its behalf, planning to attack people at churches in his hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
He planned to use weapons, including knives, firearms, and fire.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) conducted the investigation and thwarted Mercurio’s violent plot. Mercurio is currently in custody, awaiting his initial appearance, which the Court will set.
“As alleged in the complaint, the defendant swore an oath of loyalty to ISIS and planned to wage an attack in its name on churches in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
“Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, the defendant was taken into custody before he could act, and he is now charged with attempting to support ISIS’s mission of terror and violence.”
Providing material support
A federal complaint charges Mercurio with attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
If convicted, Mercurio faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A judge will determine any sentence after considering sentencing guidelines and other factors.
“The defendant allegedly pledged loyalty to ISIS and sought to attack people attending churches in Idaho, a truly horrific plan which was detected and thwarted by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
“This case should be an eye-opener to the dangers of self-radicalization, which is a real threat to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI.
“We applaud the swift action taken by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, JTTF, the FBI, and local law enforcement to mitigate the threat posed by the arrestee: his own words note a ‘craving for mayhem and murder’ and a desire to slit the throats of people peacefully gathered in prayer. This arrest highlights the threats we face and the ongoing potential for international terrorist organizations to inspire local individuals to hate and violence,” said SCN National Director & CEO Michael Masters.
Sunday, December 14, 2025 4:44PM
One person is dead after a U-Haul truck appears to have accidentally exploded in a parking lot in Idaho early Saturday, according to officials.
The explosion caused damage within the blast radius including to a Courtyard Marriott and Old Navy, according to the Lewiston Fire Department and City of Lewiston Police Department.
Initial findings indicate the vehicle was transporting stored materials, including flammable items such as gasoline and propane tanks, according to officials.
“At this time, there is no indication the incident is criminal in nature,” Lewiston Fire Marshal Julian Sorrell said in a statement.
There was no fire after the explosion, officials said.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
Copyright © 2025 ABC News Internet Ventures.
BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — The identity of the man killed in an explosion in Lewiston on Saturday morning has been released.
61-year-old Douglas R. Petersen from Meridian, Idaho, was identified by the Nez Perce County Coroner’s office as the victim of an explosion involving propane that was in the cargo box of a U-Haul truck
BOISE – Two lucky Idaho Lottery players who participated in the 2025 Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle will begin the New Year as Idaho’s newest millionaires!
All 500,000 tickets in the Idaho Lottery’s traditional holiday game, the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle, have been sold and the game has officially ended. The last ticket was sold Thursday, December 11.
This year’s game was one of the fastest-selling in the 19-year history of the Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle. After last year’s very successful game, the Idaho Lottery continued the game with two top prizes of $1,000,000. They also added a $100,000 prize and a $50,000 prize.
It is the 18th sellout and the 11th time the game has sold out before Christmas.
“We want to remind everyone this game features two, one-million-dollar top prizes. Last year, unfortunately, one of those $1,000,000 prizes was never claimed,” said Andrew Arulanandam, Idaho Lottery Director. “Keep your tickets in a safe place and remember to go online and check them after the drawing.”
The winning numbers will be announced at 5:59 p.m. Mountain Time on Monday, December 29.
“Idaho Raffle tickets are popular holiday gifts. So, this year, two lucky Idahoans could be instant millionaires because of their stocking stuffers!” added Arulanandam.
Players can check their tickets for winning numbers online, at all Idaho Lottery retail locations, on the Idaho Lottery winning numbers hotline at (208) 334-4656, or by using the Idaho Lottery Check-a-Ticket app for their iPhone or Android phone.
Besides the guaranteed top prizes of $1,000,000, there are over 21,500 additional prizes ranging from $15 up to $100,000. This year’s game also featured twenty, $1,000 prizes mid-game for players who purchased one of the 25,000th tickets. There were 15 daily, $1,000 winners during the first 15 days of sales. All players are encouraged to check their tickets for these promotion winners manually by visiting idaholottery.com.
All winning tickets of $1,000 and higher in this game must be claimed at Lottery offices in Boise. Players will have 180 days after the draw announcement on December 29, to claim their prizes.
This year’s Idaho $1,000,000 Raffle generated over $1.7 million for the Idaho Lottery’s beneficiaries, Idaho public schools and buildings.
During this gift giving season, the Idaho Lottery would like to remind everyone to gift Lottery tickets responsibly. You must be 18 years old to buy, sell, or redeem Lottery products in Idaho.
The following is a current list of $1,000 promotional winning tickets that remain unclaimed from this year’s Raffle:
- 035429
- 099040
- 122908
- 149710
- 158289
- 173160
- 192289
- 350000
- 425000
- 450000
- 475000
- 500000
=htmlentities(get_the_title())?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=get_permalink()?>%0D%0A%0D%0A=htmlentities(‘For more stories like this one, be sure to visit https://www.eastidahonews.com/ for all of the latest news, community events and more.’)?>&subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20EastIdahoNews” class=”fa-stack jDialog”>
What are Detroit Lions’ NFL playoffs odds? Latest playoff picture
Oakland Airport’s ‘San Francisco’ rebrand has failed to reverse plunging passenger numbers
Dallas, Mesquite police investigate double murder-suicide
Injury Bug for Miami Basketball Gains Another Player Early in the Season
Proposed “perfect” Red Sox trade sees Boston deal Jarren Duran, prospects for $15.5 million two-time All-Star ace
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Trump’s election win filled Hamas with ‘fear,’ hostage held like ‘slave’ for 505 days recounts
In Khartoum, exhumation of makeshift graves reawakens families’ grief
Manhunt under way for attacker after two students killed at US university
Video: At Least Two Killed in Shooting at Brown University
FBI ousts reinstated whistleblower over unauthorized media talks, ‘poor judgment’
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington5 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
World7 days ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
-
Iowa1 day agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
