Federal agents arrested a 17-year-old Texas teenager after investigators reportedly uncovered an alleged plot to assassinate Republican Rep. Keith Self at a public event.
The arrest happened October 5 in McKinney, according to reporting confirmed by Self and his campaign. The alleged attack was aimed at an October 17 veterans fundraiser where the congressman was scheduled to appear.
This was not treated as an idle social-media threat.
Self’s team says the teenager had obtained a firearm, was being monitored by federal agents, and was also suspected of preparing a separate ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in North Texas.
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reported Thursday that Self learned of the arrest through U.S. Capitol Police several days after agents took the juvenile into custody. The congressman told the station that his team increased its situational awareness but continued with campaign appearances.
Self said threats against members of Congress have become common. He said this case stood apart because investigators made an arrest, and he credited the FBI and other law-enforcement agencies with stopping the alleged attack before anyone was harmed.
Gov. Greg Abbott said the suspect had been radicalized by ISIS, had a weapon, and remains in federal custody. The FBI had not publicly released its own detailed statement about the case as of Thursday afternoon.
Self responded publicly after news of the alleged plot surfaced.
“This only strengthens my resolve,” Self said. “I will not back down.”
Abbott’s office said law enforcement stopped the suspected ISIS-inspired plot before an attack could take place.
Context Corner, a North Texas nonprofit newsroom, reported that both candidates in the district condemned the alleged plot. Democratic challenger Evan Hunt said political disagreements can never justify threatening an elected official, a family member, or staff.
Hunt also thanked federal law enforcement and said disputes must be settled through debate and at the ballot box. He called on Americans to reject political violence regardless of the intended target.
The local newsroom reported that the suspect is from McKinney and that the alleged plan included an ISIS-inspired attack in North Texas. It also noted that Self continued campaigning after the arrest and appeared at the veterans fundraiser without incident.
The response from both campaigns cut through the normal partisan fight in Texas’ 3rd District. Self emphasized resolve in the face of the threat, while Hunt said public officials and their families deserve safety regardless of party.
Hunt’s full statement placed the case above party politics and urged Americans to set a better example for young people.
The teenager’s identity has not been released because he is a minor. Reports say federal prosecutors are seeking to try him as an adult, but publicly available reporting has not identified the precise criminal counts.
EconoTimes’ review of the WFAA reporting noted that one outlet said the teen had been charged but did not name a specific charge. It also found no case-specific charging document or public announcement in the FBI Dallas or U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas listings available at the time.
That distinction is important. The arrest and the alleged plot have been reported by multiple local outlets and confirmed publicly by the targeted congressman, but the sealed or juvenile nature of the proceeding means the full charging record has not yet been made public.
The review also separated the public record from social-media claims that supplied additional charging details without a court document. It treated the October 5 arrest, the reported target, and the alleged ISIS inspiration as the supported core of the story while leaving the precise federal counts unresolved.
Self represents Texas’ 3rd Congressional District and served 25 years in the U.S. Army. He said the alleged threat would not stop him from campaigning, meeting voters, or speaking about the dangers of radicalization.
The reported target was a chili cook-off fundraiser for veterans in McKinney. Self attended the event after the suspect was already in custody, and the fundraiser took place without incident.
No one was injured.
But if investigators’ allegations are borne out, the case is another stark reminder that political violence can move from online radicalization to real-world planning with frightening speed.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
The post FBI Arrests 17-Year-Old Charging Him With Plotting To Assassinate Republican Congressman appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.
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[H/T 100PercentFedUp]
