Federal authorities have made two men face terrorism-related charges in connection with an alleged plot to target LGBTQ+ bars in Michigan during Halloween. The Detroit area saw a significant crackdown on Saturday, as federal agents arrested the suspects and seized a cache of weapons from storage units and homes.
According to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court, Momed Ali and Majed Mahmoud had been scouting for potential targets in Ferndale, a suburb of Detroit. The FBI's investigation revealed that the two men were inspired by Islamic State extremism and had discussed a plot to carry out an attack during Halloween.
Agents found references to "pumpkins" in conversations between the suspects, which investigators believe was a reference to the planned attack. Ali and Mahmoud have been charged with receiving and transferring guns and ammunition for terrorism-related crimes.
The FBI's involvement has brought reassurance to local authorities and community leaders, who had expressed concerns about potential violence targeting LGBTQ+ establishments. "Our American heroes prevented a terror attack," said US Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement on social media.
Momed Ali and Majed Mahmoud were scheduled to appear in court on Monday afternoon for their initial appearance. Their lawyers declined to comment on the allegations, with Ali's lawyer Amir Makled initially suggesting that the charges were the result of "hysteria" and "fearmongering". However, after reports emerged of the federal investigation, his stance shifted.
The incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by extremist ideologies and the need for continued vigilance from law enforcement agencies. The FBI's efforts to disrupt potential terrorist plots have undoubtedly helped to prevent harm to vulnerable communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals who may face increased risks of violence and harassment during holidays like Halloween.
According to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court, Momed Ali and Majed Mahmoud had been scouting for potential targets in Ferndale, a suburb of Detroit. The FBI's investigation revealed that the two men were inspired by Islamic State extremism and had discussed a plot to carry out an attack during Halloween.
Agents found references to "pumpkins" in conversations between the suspects, which investigators believe was a reference to the planned attack. Ali and Mahmoud have been charged with receiving and transferring guns and ammunition for terrorism-related crimes.
The FBI's involvement has brought reassurance to local authorities and community leaders, who had expressed concerns about potential violence targeting LGBTQ+ establishments. "Our American heroes prevented a terror attack," said US Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement on social media.
Momed Ali and Majed Mahmoud were scheduled to appear in court on Monday afternoon for their initial appearance. Their lawyers declined to comment on the allegations, with Ali's lawyer Amir Makled initially suggesting that the charges were the result of "hysteria" and "fearmongering". However, after reports emerged of the federal investigation, his stance shifted.
The incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by extremist ideologies and the need for continued vigilance from law enforcement agencies. The FBI's efforts to disrupt potential terrorist plots have undoubtedly helped to prevent harm to vulnerable communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals who may face increased risks of violence and harassment during holidays like Halloween.
, like 72 pages of evidence? that's a lot of work for the FBI. i wonder if there were any other people involved in this plot or if it was just these two dudes. also, what's with the whole "pumpkins" thing? are they planning on carving jack o' lanterns while they're trying to blow up bars 
. i feel bad for the community in Ferndale and all the LGBTQ+ folks who have to deal with this kind of stuff. it's not right that you have to be worried about your safety because of what some people think or believe. anyway, glad the FBI was able to step in and prevent whatever was gonna happen 
.
. According to the FBI's stats, hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals have been on the rise over the past few years 
. Like, did you know that in 2022, there were over 3,000 reported incidents of hate crime in the US alone? 
That's a significant increase from previous years! 
. But hey, at least the FBI is on top of it! 
The fact that they were able to disrupt this plot before anything happened is a huge win for public safety 
.
. We can make a difference by being allies and advocates for marginalized communities 
. It's just not right that these guys would think it's okay to threaten innocent people based on who they are or who they love 
. I mean, can you even imagine what it must be like for those communities to have their safety called into question every year during Halloween? 
It's a miracle the FBI was able to sniff out this plot and apprehend these two guys before anyone got hurt 
. It's a tough world out there, but if we stick together and uplift each other, we can make a difference 
I'm only commenting now because I got lost in a Reddit thread about the latest gaming releases 
. Anyway, this plot is super concerning. How could people think that carrying out an attack on bars just because someone has a different ideology? It's not cool and it's not what our values are supposed to be about 
. I mean, what can we do differently as a society to prevent these kinds of situations from happening in the first place? We need more people speaking out against hate speech and extremist ideas, like, I don't know, educating ourselves and others on what's truly important – acceptance and love 
! We should be embracing love and acceptance, not trying to tear each other down. I'm glad the FBI stepped in and shut them down 
. I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start threatening people for wearing the wrong color of pants or something? 
This whole thing just reeks of Islamophobia and xenophobia 
. And what's with this "pumpkins" thing? Is that some kind of twisted code for "we're gonna kill you on Halloween"? 
.
i'm so glad the FBI was able to step in and shut this down ASAP 
as for the "pumpkins" reference, lol like whoever came up with that was already super suspicious 
anyway, glad they got caught before anything happened.