(BBC News) 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 Mahmoud, scouted potential locations in a suburb of Detroit and expressed support for the Islamic State group online, federal prosecutors say.
A third defendant, described as a juvenile in court documents, is unnamed. The alleged conspirators bought semi-automatic guns, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition and trained how to shoot at a gun range, prosecutors say.
The defendants are due in court in Detroit on Monday. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was “a major ISIS-linked terror plot.”
“According to the complaint, subjects had multiple AR-15 rifles, tactical gear, and a detailed plan to carry out an attack on American soil,” she added.
The defendants are charged with handling firearms and ammunition and having reasonable cause to believe the weapons would be used to commit a federal crime of terrorism.
A 73-page charging document filed by the Department of Justice says that in September the suspects scouted the suburb of Ferndale, where numerous bars and restaurants are located.
“Many of the clubs and bars in this area intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” said the court papers.
Federal agents raided addresses linked to Ali and Mahmoud and recovered guns, ammunition, GoPro cameras and tactical vests, according to the court documents.
Five people were mentioned in the court documents, but only Ali and Mahmoud have been named by federal prosecutors. Ali and the unnamed juvenile are both US citizens, the complaint says. It does not specify Mahmoud’s immigration status.
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 media linked to the individuals. An FBI informant joined group calls involving the suspects.
The charges allege that in recent days the suspects had referred to “pumpkin” when discussing a date for a potential attack.
“They were referring to Halloween as the potential day for the attack they were plotting, an attack that they understood could result in their deaths and martyrdom,” federal prosecutors said.
The indictment alleges that Ali, Mahmoud and the unidentified juvenile planned the crime on WhatsApp. Messages shared by the government show the three referring to “the date, the thing”, and saying things like “We’re gonna do it” and “I gotta do pumpkin for real”.
The BBC has contacted a lawyer for Ali for comment following the newly released court documents. Over the weekend, the lawyer dismissed the FBI’s raid and subsequent arrest.
“There is nothing that he ever planned or wanted to do, or impose any harm on any member of the community at any point,” the attorney, Amir Makled, told CBS about his client.
Bondi called it an “ISIS-linked terror plot” in a post on X.
“Our American heroes prevented a terror attack,” she said.
