The FBI announced Thursday that they arrested a 17-year-old male from McKinney, Texas on October 5 after he obtained a firearm, according to federal law enforcement sources. The juvenile faces federal charges for planning to assassinate U.S. Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) at a public event scheduled for October 17. Investigators stated the suspect was also planning a terrorist attack in North Texas on behalf of ISIS.
The suspect, whose identity has not been released, remains in federal custody as of this report. Federal prosecutors are seeking to have him tried as an adult.
According to a report from local outlet WFAA, the 17-year-old had recently become radicalized through ISIS material found online and had been under monitoring by federal agents prior to the arrest. Agents moved to take him into custody after he acquired the firearm.
The planned attack targeting Self was set for last Saturday, October 17, when the congressman was scheduled to judge a chili cook-off at a VFW post in McKinney. The broader alleged terrorist attack was also described as intended for that weekend.
A federal law enforcement source who had been briefed on the matter told WFAA that the plot was ISIS-inspired.
Rep. Self confirmed that he and his family are safe. “Protecting our Constitutional Republic from radical Islam is getting messy. I served in the military for 25 years with the mindset that defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. Our elected leaders should govern with that same mindset,” the congressman told WFAA.
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When asked by WFAA whether his public positions on radical Islam might explain why he was targeted, Self indicated that he believed so. “If it’s ISIS related, you kind of have to believe that. I can’t prove that. I don’t know that for sure. But you have to follow the [old saying] if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck,” he said.
“I am grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for stopping this threat. My family and I are safe, and I remain focused on serving the people of Texas’ 3rd District. Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it—name-calling, threats, and worse. Our Founders believed this country was worth the sacrifice. I served 25 years in the military because defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down,” the congressman said in a separate statement posted to X.
No official statement from the FBI or the Department of Justice with additional case details has been publicly released as of this report.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
