An Idaho teenager has been arrested by the FBI under suspicion of attempting to carry out mass shootings at churches in support of ISIS.
Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, was accused in a court filing of “attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organisation”.
He contacted ISIS affiliates and expressed support for the organisation and other extremist groups, according to the FBI, which cited "confidential human sources".
Mr Mercurio is also accused of spreading ISIS propaganda online.
“At the beginning of 2024, his conduct escalated to Mercurio planning to carry out a suicide attack on a church(es) in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,” said the filing, released on Tuesday.
“His attack plan involved using flame-covered weapons, explosives, knives, a machete, a pipe and ultimately firearms.”
The FBI said it first became aware of Mr Mercurio's activities in 2021, when it was investigating a fund-raising network that uses cryptocurrency exchanges and other financial services platforms to support ISIS and other organisations operating in Syria.
It said that after Mr Mercurio was identified, an investigation of his computer revealed documents and photos showing his support for ISIS, including an image in which he appeared in front of the group's flag.
“I am going to perform a martyrdom operation very soon,” he allegedly wrote in one message. “The targets will be the various churches in my town,” he said, as he wanted to “fix” the problem of too many such places of worship in the area.
He added that he would carry out his plan in the last days of Ramadan, according to the court filing.
Mr Mercurio was arrested by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force the day before his alleged planned attack.
The FBI executed a search warrant at Mr Mercurio's family's home, CBS reported, with investigators seizing a metal pipe, butane, hand sanitiser, a machete and several firearms locked in his father's wardrobe.
A court date for the case has yet to be set.
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Getting%20there
%3Cp%3EGiven%20its%20remote%20location%2C%20getting%20to%20Borneo%20can%20feel%20daunting%20even%20for%20the%20most%20seasoned%20traveller.%20But%20you%20can%20fly%20directly%20from%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20to%20Sandakan%20and%20Sepilok%20is%20only%20half%20an%20hour%20away%20by%20taxi.%20Sandakan%20has%20plenty%20of%20accommodation%20options%2C%20while%20Sepilok%20has%20a%20few%20nature%20lodges%20close%20to%20the%20main%20attractions.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
Brief scores:
QPR 0
Watford 1
Capoue 45' 1
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
