A teenager was arrested in Philadelphia for planning a terrorist attack and stockpiling materials to make bombs.
An unidentified 17-year-old was arrested in Philadelphia’s Wynnefield neighborhood on Friday for planning what authorities called a ‘catastrophic terrorist attack.’
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner called the charges ‘the most serious alleged terrorist activity prosecuted in Philadelphia County court in recent history.’
‘The man who is under arrest is, or was, an aspiring terrorist. Who was not merely thinking, but was doing things that are deeply disturbing and presented a gravedanger to everyone,’ Krasner said at a press conference on Monday.
According to authorities, the FBI was tipped off to the teenager after he communicated twice with accounts linked to Katibat al Tawhid wal Jihad (KTJ) earlier this year.
KTJ, which operates out of Syria, is responsible for the 2017 attack on the St Petersburg metro in Russia, as well as the 2016 suicide car bombing of the Chinese embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The FBI also linked the teenager to a WhatsApp account with profile pictures featuring the banners of the Islamic State and Riyad-us Saliheen Martyrs’ Brigade, a Chechen terrorist group.
‘This individual was also sending and receiving media containing terrorist propaganda and guidance on committing criminal acts, including how to construct a bomb,’ FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Jacqueline Maguire said.
The teenager also ‘appeared to be taking steps to travel overseas’ to join a terrorist group, the special agent said.
‘Most concerning, however, was the evidence that he had access to firearms, and had purchased items and materials commonly used in the construction of IEDs,’ Special Agent Maguire said.
These online purchases included chemical cleaners used to create explosives, wiring, ‘outdoor tactical gear,’ and devices that could be used as remote detonators.
Maguire also noted that he had access to ‘quite a significant number’ of firearms.
On August 7, FBI agents surveilling the teenager watched him make more purchases, and found electrical wiring used in IED construction in his trash.
The next day, US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) notified the task force that the teenager made 14 online international purchases of military gear, which was shipped to his home in Philadelphia.
A judge signed an arrest warrant for the teen on August 11. He was taken into custody the same day while agents executed search warrants.
The teenager now faces a litany of charges, including weapons of mass destruction, criminal conspiracy, arson, causing/risking catastrophe, attempting to commit criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime, and recklessly endangering another person.
The suspect has not been identified due to his status as a minor. However, District Attorney Krasner also said that his office intends to seek certification to charge the 17-year-old as an adult.
If they receive that certification, the accused bomb maker’s name would be released in the public record.
‘We intend to pursue full accountability for these crimes and will continue to work vigilantly with our law enforcement partners to protect all of our communities from hateful, ideologically driven acts of violence,’ the district attorney said.
‘Years ago, you used to have to travel overseas to go to training camps,’ Special Agent Maguire said. ‘That’s not the case anymore, as you can very easily sit at home, in this country, and be radicalized over the internet. The threat has changed, and it’s changed drastically.’
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