A 19-year-old boy in Maine was sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty to plotting an ISIS-inspired shooting. This was confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Monday, Nov. 6.
A member of the Iraqi forces walks past a mural bearing the logo of the Islamic State (IS) group in a tunnel that was reportedly used as a training centre by the jihadists, on March 1, 2017, in the village of Albu Sayf, on the southern outskirts of Mosul.
The Waterville resident admitted the allegations against him in April, saying that he provided material support to terrorists. Meanwhile, a second charge against him was dropped.
Maine: 19-Year-Old Pleads Guilty To Plotting ISIS-Inspired Shooting
According to Fox News' latest report, 19-year-old Xavier Pelkey admitted that he planned to contribute ammunition, explosives, as well as firearms for a mass shooting at a Shiite mosque in Chicago.
Authorities said that the planned shooting was supposed to target other worship homes as well. FBI officials confirmed that Xavier wasn't alone in his crime as he conspired with two more juveniles; one in Canada and the other suspect was located in Chicago.
NBC 15 News reported that these three juveniles were supporters of a radical form of Sunni Islam and the foreign terrorist organization ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
Before Xavier and his lawyers entered an agreement with prosecutors in April to plead guilty, the FBI discovered homemade explosives in the boy's backpack during a search in his Waterville apartment in February 2022.
Investigators said that these homemade devices were made of fireworks, which were stapled together. They added that Xavier also used pins and thumbtacks, which were supposed to act as shrapnels.
Aside from the DIY explosives, the FBI also discovered a handwritten document showing the plan of Xavier and the three juveniles to attack the houses of worship in Chicago; authorities said that the paper mentioned the name of ISIS.
As of writing, Xavier is facing a 15-year imprisonment and was fined $250,000, as well as a lifetime of supervised release.
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Is Israel-Hamas War To Blame?
People demonstrate against the Israeli over air attacks on the Gaza Strip which have killed more than 300 Palestinians on december 29, 2008 in Paris. Anti-Israel demonstrations were held in many countries following a series of protests over the weekend, and efforts to hold talks between Syria and Israel were suspended.
It is unclear if Xavier's motivation for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack was influenced by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
But, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the Israel-Hamas conflict could encourage more people in the United States to form their terrorist groups.
"We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration, the likes of which we haven't seen since ISIS launched its so-called caliphate several years ago," said the FBI official.
"In just the past few weeks, multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for attacks against Americans and the West," he added.
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