FBI: Idaho teen inspired by ISIS arrested, planned to target local churches
By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Jake Maslo (Video Editor), Evan Hummel (Producer)
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Idaho man arrested for planning attacks on churches in support of ISIS
Click to see story on abc NewsFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on CNNIdaho teen arrested for allegedly plotting to attack church in name of ISIS
Click to see story on CBS NewsIdaho teen arrested and accused of planning to kill churchgoers in the name of ISIS
Click to see story on NBC NewsFeds: Coeur d’Alene teen arrested for supporting ISIS, planned to attack local churches
Click to see story on The spokesman-ReviewThe FBI arrested a young man who planned attacks on churches in Idaho after pledging allegiance to ISIS – La Opinion
Click to see story on La OpinionFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KRDOFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KIFIFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KVIAFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KWWLTeen arrested for plans to attack churches in name of ISIS: DOJ
Click to see story on NewsNationFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on East Idaho NewsCoeur d’Alene man arrested for attempting to provide support, resources to ISIS
Click to see story on Krem2 NewsIdaho man arrested for allegedly giving information to ISIS
Click to see story on KTVBIdaho teen planned to attack churches in support of ISIS over Ramadan: Affidavit
Click to see story on Just the NewsFBI: Idaho teen arrested day before he planned ISIS-inspired attack on church
Click to see story on WPDECoeur d’ Alene teen arrested for planning attack in support of ISIS
Click to see story on KLEWIdaho Teen Arrested for Plot to Attack Churches, Kill Christians for ISIS
Click to see story on National Catholic RegisterBREAKING: ‘Truly Horrific’ – FBI Makes Bone-Chilling Arrest
Click to see story on Conservative BriefIdaho man arrested before planned attacks on churches, Justice…
Click to see story on wng.orgTeen who pledged loyalty to ISIS busted for ‘truly horrific’ plot to commit mass shootings at Idaho churches: DOJ
Click to see story on Fox NewsVIDEO — ‘Craving for Mayhem and Terror’: Idaho Teen Accused in Plot to Attack Churches for ISIS
Click to see story on BreitbartThe Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested an Idaho teen on Saturday, April 6, who the agency said had been planning an ISIS-inspired terror attack on churches in his hometown in northern Idaho. Prosecutors said 18-year-old Alexander Mercurio detailed how he would kill churchgoers on Sunday, April 14.
The FBI said Mercurio told a confidential informant that he wanted to hit all 21 churches in the area using knives, guns and fire. Mercurio reportedly told the source that he pledged allegiance to ISIS and had provided material support to the terrorist organization.
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To carry out his plot, investigators said Mercurio planned to first immobilize his father with a metal pipe then take his firearms and head to local church. Mercurio’s target date for the attack was reportedly on Sunday, April 7. According to investigators, Mercurio was timing the attack to coincide with the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Officers said they found an ISIS flag, butane canisters, handcuffs, a knife, a pipe, a machete and several guns belonging to Mercurio’s father at his house.
The FBI reports it first learned of Mercurio during an investigation into a fundraising network using cryptocurrency and other platforms to support ISIS in Syria and its Afghan affiliate, ISIS-K.
In addition, the FBI said that Mercurio along with three others, who were not identified, financially supported someone only known as “Individual 2” in Gaza.
FBI Director Christopher Wray called Mercurio’s plot “a truly horrific plan.” If convicted, Mercurio faces up to 20 years in prison.
The latest arrest comes after a joint intelligence bulletin warning of possible threats to public gatherings in the United States. It specifically mentioned “lone wolf extremists” inspired by ISIS-K’s attack at a Moscow concert hall, which killed at least 144 people.
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An official statement from ISIS-K said that the group planned attacks similar to those in Moscow in the U.S. In March, Wray said that since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza on Oct. 7, the terrorism threat has reached a “whole other level” in the United States.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
THE FBI ARRESTED AN IDAHO TEEN WHO THE AGENCY SAYS WAS PLANNING AN ISIS-INSPIRED TERROR ATTACK ON CHURCHES IN HIS HOMETOWN OVER THE WEEKEND.
PROSECUTORS SAY 18-YEAR-OLD ALEXANDER MERCURIO DETAILED HOW HE WOULD KILL CHURCHGOERS.
TELLING AN INFORMANT, HE WANTED TO HIT ALL 21 AREA CHURCHES USING KNIVES, GUNS AND FIRE.
MERCURIO REPORTEDLY TOLD THE SOURCE HE PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS AND HAD PROVIDED MATERIAL SUPPORT TO THE GROUP.
TO CARRY OUT HIS PLOT, INVESTIGATORS SAY HE PLANNED TO FIRST IMMOBILIZE HIS FATHER WITH A METAL PIPE, TAKE HIS FIREARMS AND HEAD TO A LOCAL CHURCH.
HIS TARGET DATE WAS SUNDAY. ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, MERCURIO WAS TIMING THE ATTACK TO COINCIDE WITH THE END OF THE MUSLIM HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN.
OFFICERS FOUND AN ISIS FLAG, BUTANE CANISTERS, HANDCUFFS, A KNIFE, A PIPE, A MACHETE, AND SEVERAL GUNS BELONGING TO HIS FATHER AT MERCURIO’S HOUSE.
THE FBI FIRST LEARNED OF MERCURIO DURING AN INVESTIGATION INTO A FUNDRAISING NETWORK USING CRYPTOCURRENCY AND OTHER PLATFORMS TO SUPPORT ISIS IN SYRIA AND ITS AFGHAN AFFILIATE, ISIS-K.
THE FBI SAYS MERCURIO ALONG WITH THREE OTHERS, WHO WERE NOT IDENTIFIED, FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED SOMEONE ONLY KNOWN AS “INDIVIDUAL 2” IN GAZA.
FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER WRAY CALLED IT “A TRULY HORRIFIC PLAN”
IF CONVICTED, MERCURIO FACES UP TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON.
THE LATEST ARREST COMES AFTER A JOINT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN WARNING OF POSSIBLE THREATS TO PUBLIC GATHERINGS IN THE U.S.
IT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED “LONE WOLF EXTREMISTS” INSPIRED BY ISIS-K’S ATTACK AT A MOSCOW CONCERT HALL.
AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM ISIS-K SAID THEY PLANNED SIMILAR ATTACKS IN THE U-S.
WRAY SAID SINCE THE START OF ISRAEL’S WAR IN GAZA, THE TERRORISM THREAT HAS REACHED “WHOLE OTHER LEVEL” IN THE U.S.
Media Landscape
See who else is reporting on this story and which side of the political spectrum they lean. To read other sources, click on the plus signs below. Learn more about this dataBias Distribution
Left
Idaho man arrested for planning attacks on churches in support of ISIS
Click to see story on abc NewsFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on CNNIdaho teen arrested for allegedly plotting to attack church in name of ISIS
Click to see story on CBS NewsIdaho teen arrested and accused of planning to kill churchgoers in the name of ISIS
Click to see story on NBC NewsFeds: Coeur d’Alene teen arrested for supporting ISIS, planned to attack local churches
Click to see story on The spokesman-ReviewThe FBI arrested a young man who planned attacks on churches in Idaho after pledging allegiance to ISIS – La Opinion
Click to see story on La OpinionFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KRDOFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KIFIFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KVIAFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on KWWLTeen arrested for plans to attack churches in name of ISIS: DOJ
Click to see story on NewsNationFBI arrests man who allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned attacks on Idaho churches, DOJ says
Click to see story on East Idaho NewsCoeur d’Alene man arrested for attempting to provide support, resources to ISIS
Click to see story on Krem2 NewsIdaho man arrested for allegedly giving information to ISIS
Click to see story on KTVBIdaho teen planned to attack churches in support of ISIS over Ramadan: Affidavit
Click to see story on Just the NewsFBI: Idaho teen arrested day before he planned ISIS-inspired attack on church
Click to see story on WPDECoeur d’ Alene teen arrested for planning attack in support of ISIS
Click to see story on KLEWIdaho Teen Arrested for Plot to Attack Churches, Kill Christians for ISIS
Click to see story on National Catholic RegisterBREAKING: ‘Truly Horrific’ – FBI Makes Bone-Chilling Arrest
Click to see story on Conservative BriefIdaho man arrested before planned attacks on churches, Justice…
Click to see story on wng.orgTeen who pledged loyalty to ISIS busted for ‘truly horrific’ plot to commit mass shootings at Idaho churches: DOJ
Click to see story on Fox NewsVIDEO — ‘Craving for Mayhem and Terror’: Idaho Teen Accused in Plot to Attack Churches for ISIS
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