Michigan terror suspects plotted Paris-style attack on bars, nightclubs, feds say as photos show them taking target practice

The two Michigan men charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack had been scouting LGBTQ-friendly bars in a Detroit suburb and talked of copying the 2015 Paris onslaught that killed 130 people, according to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court Monday.

The document names Mohmed Ali, of Dearborn, and Majed Mahmoud as conspiring to unleash a mass shooting attack on Halloween night — a fiendish plot the suspects codenamed “pumpkin,” according to prosecutors.

The complaint also refers to five unidentified co-conspirators and a minor, labeled “Person 1,” the latter of whom was allegedly assigned to carry out the attack along with Ali, while the rest of the group made their way to join ISIS in Syria.

Investigators surveiled the men for weeks — even mounting a camera on a pole outside a Dearborn house — and tracked them via their phone movements, which saw them travel to an area of Ferndale known for its bars and restaurants, many of which “intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” the complaint reads.

But before Ali and Mahmoud could execute their alleged terror scheme, authorities raided the men’s homes and a nearby storage unit, where they recovered three AR-15-style rifles, two shotguns, four pistols and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition — as well as GoPro cameras, tactical vests and additional gear.

Throughout September and October, Ali, Mahmoud, and two unnamed co-conspirators were captured on camera practicing shooting firearms at a gun range.

“The FBI stopped a massacre before it could happen,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X after the criminal complaint was unsealed Monday.

“Two Michigan men planned an ISIS-inspired Halloween terror attack near Detroit- stockpiling weapons, scouting targets, and training at gun ranges. This FBI acted fast, followed the evidence, and likely saved countless lives.”

Though both men were under the age of 21, they were able to legally purchase pricey firearms — including a 12-gauge Beretta A300 Ultima Competition shotgun, a Daniel Defense M4 V7 rifle, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and multiple 5.56 rifles, according to the complaint. Mahmoud recently bought more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition that could be used for AR-15-style rifles, the government alleged.

Investigators also found a trove of incriminating information upon searching one of the co-conspirator’s phones, such as Google searches of “ISIS” and the “Islamic State.”

During a group call recorded by an FBI source, a participant identified as “co-conspirator 2” said he had tried to convince “Athari” and “Bukhari” to come with them, but that they said they were going to stay in the US and do the “same thing as France,” evidently a reference to the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks on landmarks across Paris — including the Stade de France and Bataclan performance venue.

The complaint said the investigation determined the identity of the person referred to as Bukhari is Ali.

The two Michigan men charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack had been scouting LGBTQ-friendly bars in a Detroit suburb and talked of copying the 2015 Paris onslaught that killed 130 people, according to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court Monday.

The document names Mohmed Ali, of Dearborn, and Majed Mahmoud as conspiring to unleash a mass shooting attack on Halloween night — a fiendish plot the suspects codenamed “pumpkin,” according to prosecutors.

The complaint also refers to five unidentified co-conspirators and a minor, labeled “Person 1,” the latter of whom was allegedly assigned to carry out the attack along with Ali, while the rest of the group made their way to join ISIS in Syria.

Investigators surveiled the men for weeks — even mounting a camera on a pole outside a Dearborn house — and tracked them via their phone movements, which saw them travel to an area of Ferndale known for its bars and restaurants, many of which “intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” the complaint reads.

But before Ali and Mahmoud could execute their alleged terror scheme, authorities raided the men’s homes and a nearby storage unit, where they recovered three AR-15-style rifles, two shotguns, four pistols and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition — as well as GoPro cameras, tactical vests and additional gear.

Throughout September and October, Ali, Mahmoud, and two unnamed co-conspirators were captured on camera practicing shooting firearms at a gun range.

“The FBI stopped a massacre before it could happen,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X after the criminal complaint was unsealed Monday.

“Two Michigan men planned an ISIS-inspired Halloween terror attack near Detroit- stockpiling weapons, scouting targets, and training at gun ranges. This FBI acted fast, followed the evidence, and likely saved countless lives.”

Though both men were under the age of 21, they were able to legally purchase pricey firearms — including a 12-gauge Beretta A300 Ultima Competition shotgun, a Daniel Defense M4 V7 rifle, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and multiple 5.56 rifles, according to the complaint. Mahmoud recently bought more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition that could be used for AR-15-style rifles, the government alleged.

Investigators also found a trove of incriminating information upon searching one of the co-conspirator’s phones, such as Google searches of “ISIS” and the “Islamic State.”

During a group call recorded by an FBI source, a participant identified as “co-conspirator 2” said he had tried to convince “Athari” and “Bukhari” to come with them, but that they said they were going to stay in the US and do the “same thing as France,” evidently a reference to the Nov. 13, 2015, attacks on landmarks across Paris — including the Stade de France and Bataclan performance venue.

The complaint said the investigation determined the identity of the person referred to as Bukhari is Ali.