Alexander Mercurio, an 18-year-old residing in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was apprehended by authorities on Saturday, just a day before he purportedly intended to carry out a series of violent church attacks, according to a report by BBC.
According to the Justice Department, an Idaho teen planned to unleash a spree of violence using an array of weapons, including firearms, explosives, knives, and a pipe, with the intention of moving from one church to another until he was killed.
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Charged with Supporting a Foreign Terrorist Organization
Mercurio faces serious charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, specifically ISIS, according to USA Today.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that Mercurio had sworn allegiance to ISIS and aimed to launch an attack in its name.
The suspect’s plan was allegedly to execute an act of martyrdom during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Messages attributed to Mercurio revealed …