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Plano teen arrested in ISIS-inspired plot to commit mass shooting in Frisco

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Bash Riprock

Bash Riprock 1695

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Posted

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2018/05/02/plano-teen-arrested-isis-inspired-plot-commit-mass-shooting-local-mall

 

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Matin Azizi-Yarand, 17, faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder of a Texas peace officer. He was taken into custody at school on Tuesday and transferred Wednesday to the Collin County Detention Center, where he is being held in lieu of $3 million bail. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.

Matin Azizi-Yarand was taken into custody Tuesday.
Matin Azizi-Yarand was taken into custody Tuesday.

Authorities say Azizi-Yarand was planning to carry out the attack in mid-May. He had sent more than $1,400 to others to buy weapons and tactical gear. He had also written a "Message to America" explaining his reasons for the attack. 

The teen discussed his plans during online communications with FBI confidential sources and an undercover employee, mulling over attacks at a school and a Hindu temple before settling on Stonebriar Centre, according to the probable cause affidavit. He told the sources that he had learned the layout of the mall and had been observing patrons and security there.

During one conversation, he stated: "I'd actually like to make a cop surrender and drop his gun // then douse him with gasoline and burn him // record it."

The case was investigated by Plano and Frisco police and the FBI. It will be prosecuted by the Collin County district attorney's office.

"We are fortunate that the brave men and women of local and federal law enforcement work around the clock to prevent acts of terrorism and mass shootings," Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said in a news release. "I'd like to thank the FBI's North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Frisco and Plano police departments for their efforts in this case and their vigilance in protecting the citizens of Collin County."

 
 

FBI Dallas Special Agent-In-Charge Eric K. Jackson said in a news release that the agency knows of no other threats related to Azizi-Yarand's arrest.

"The American people can take comfort in knowing that we continue to work diligently to protect and defend the United States and to ensure the safety of the communities we serve," Jackson said. 

The attack was planned to happen during Ramadan to limit the number of Muslim casualties, the teen told one of the sources. Ramadan is Islam's holiest month and includes prayers, fasting from dawn to dusk and nightly feasts. This year's observance begins May 15.

Matin Azizi-Yarand is being held at the Collin County Detention Center.
Matin Azizi-Yarand is being held at the Collin County Detention Center.

"The facts of this case, though alarming, serve as an example of the power of cooperation and the importance of each individual remaining vigilant in the spirit of 'see something-say something,'" Frisco Police Chief John Bruce said in a news release.

The teen stated that his plan was to cause financial damage, "setting stores on fire // gasoline // match // we won't suffocate to death lol we can shoot open weapons," according to the affidavit.

There was also talk of taking hostages. "We can be even more careful if you'd like and take hostages and assess which ones we can kill letting go the elderly and the children," he messaged one of the sources.

Neighbors who live near the family of Azizi-Yarand were shocked at news of his arrest.

"It's absolutely crazy," said Michelle Prevette, 45, who lives next door. "We just moved in two weeks ago. That's what tripping me out."

Prevette, 45, an Uber driver, said she had just come home from work about noon Tuesday when she saw federal agents wearing FBI vests removing evidence at the house next door. 

"This whole street was packed with their cars," Prevette said. "They were tight-lipped. They wouldn't say nothing."

 

Jessica Schlagal, 25, who lives in a house nearby, said she knew little about Azizi-Yarand the young man arrested. "He always kept to himself. I just seen him run out to his car at night," Schlagal said.

Neither neighbor has seen the family of Azizi-Yarand since Tuesday's raid, and no one answered the door Wednesday at the family's one-story red-brick home.

The teen had recently converted to Islam and had attended a Plano mosque, according to Khalid Y. Hamideh, a spokesman for the Islamic Association of Collin County. 

He cautioned that ISIS does not represent the Islamic faith. 

"We will continue to reiterate that their actions and ideology have no basis in the teachings of Islam," he stated in a news release. "Their actions and teachings represent extremism, hate and murder - all of which are antithetical to what Muslims believe and practice."

 

The teen began communicating online in December 2017 with "an FBI confidential human source" about his desire to either "make hijrah [travel]" or to do a terrorist attack within the United States, according to a probable cause affidavit. 

"Look at all the other lone wolves// What training did they have yet they simply killed the kuffar?" he wrote using a derogatory Arabic term for disbelievers. "The brothers in Europe the brother in Spain the brother in New York? Had no limitary training // it's not about numbers it's about getting a message across to these taghut countries // it's dangerous tho akhi we have to be careful some have gotten arrested // so we good brother?"

After the confidential source replied "OK," Azizi-Yarand stated that he wanted to wait until he was 18 so that he could buy a rifle himself. 

Azizi-Yarand's messages often referred to his contacts as akhi, which is Arabic for my brother.

The front entrance of West Plano High School, where student Matin Azizi-Yarand was taken into custody on Tuesday. He faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder.(Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer)
The front entrance of West Plano High School, where student Matin Azizi-Yarand was taken into custody on Tuesday. He faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder. 
(Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer)

"But I swear I want to achieve Allahs [Gods] pleasure and kill the kuffar," he stated, according to the affidavit. "I've only been reading ISIS magazine guides for performing operations and making bombs."

He also told the source that he learned about Islam on the Internet. 

In a Jan. 29 message, he stated that he had settled on a local attack. "The ISIS guy said // We should attack America ... Are you fine with killing some Americans?" he wrote.

During the online conversation, the Plano teen was asked whether he had a target. "Yeah, I've played some scenarios in my head akhi, lol I don't plan to go in blind," he stated. 

"Yes, I want to put America in the state that Europe is in which is having to have soldiers deployed in streets" and "something that will cost them a lot financially too."

The teen also sent the source several types of ISIS propaganda. There were links to videos about life in the Islamic state and about being a martyr as well as an image with the ISIS flag and a firearm and the text "Jihad [Struggle/Fight] and the rifle alone. NO negotiations, NO conferences and NO dialogue," according to the affidavit. 

Azizi-Yarand also sent a document authored by Eric Harris, one of the teens from the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, that detailed how to build pipe bombs.

The West Plano home of Matin Azizi-Yarand, 17, who faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder. Azizi-Yarand was working on an ISIS-inspired plan to commit a mass shooting at a Frisco mall with help from others. (Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer)
The West Plano home of Matin Azizi-Yarand, 17, who faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder. Azizi-Yarand was working on an ISIS-inspired plan to commit a mass shooting at a Frisco mall with help from others.  
(Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer)

Conversations soon turned to gathering money to buy weapons and tactical gear. He sent the sources photos of the mall in Frisco as well as gear needed. 

"Firstly is guns // then ammo and magazines // second is a decent plate carrier that holds a lot of magazines // if we have enough money you can get a bullet proof mask // I wear glasses so that won't work," he wrote in late March.

Plate carriers "are military-style apparel that contain a metal plate and can be worn as a type of bullet-proof vest," the affidavit stated. 

On April 24, he messaged that he had gotten contacts so that his glasses wouldn't impede their operation. 

There was also talk about getting in shape physically for the attack. The teen told his confidential source to "take note of increasing cardio // try going to the gym // increasing stamina // can't shoot out of breath and shaking // because remember we ain't shooting paper targets."

In late March, Azizi-Yarand sent a copy of a speech he had written to the undercover employee. It read in part: "before you call us evil people, look your selves this is only revenge you have started this war with us it will never end. We target your people as revenge for ours who were slaughtered ... You can move to another country that is not fighting the muslims but of course you want your easy lives in America so we will cast terror into your hearts as Allah commanded us."

Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, named as a possible terror target after a student from Plano was arrested on charges related to an ISIS-inspired plan to commit a mass shooting at a local mall with help from others. Matin Azizi-Yarand, 17, faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder(Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer)
Stonebriar Centre in Frisco, named as a possible terror target after a student from Plano was arrested on charges related to an ISIS-inspired plan to commit a mass shooting at a local mall with help from others. Matin Azizi-Yarand, 17, faces charges of making a terroristic threat and criminal solicitation of capital murder 
(Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer)

The undercover employee got a post office box, and the teen later mailed a pre-paid credit card with $500 to the address. On April 13, the undercover employee sent photos of the items that the officer had claimed to have purchased with the card. The following day, the teen sent two envelopes to the post office box. One had $590 in cash and the other had $400.

On April 14, the Plano teen met in person with one of the confidential sources at a local hotel. When asked about the plan, Azizi-Yarand stated the plan is "not too in depth" and said they would "just run and gun," the affidavit stated.

At the teen's suggestion, the pair then walked to the mall, which was less than a mile from the hotel. Azizi-Yarand exchanged messages and photos with the undercover employee as the two were walking around the mall and talking. 

Several of Azizi-Yarand's conversations centered around killing a police officer. His plot to shoot up the mall relied on the officer there on patrol being killed first.  

"The way I have it envisioned is we first go in [probably not with the rifles] glock in waist holster or whatever determine wherever the cop is and then one stays which is the one who will kill him...," the affidavit stated. Azizi-Yarand stated he would be the one to kill the officer.

During an April 18 conversation with the undercover employee,  the Plano teen sent a link to a video of a person shooting an AR-15 rifle. Part of his message stated: "My rifle needs to be pretty and cool looking // put an I Love America sticky on the side."

 

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NaTeWHO

NaTeWHO 852

Posted
Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, Sandman said:

I had a buddy that went to Collin County Community College back in the 90s, so this hits close to home.

Playing Scattergories at family gatherings I've used Collin County Community College for four points on the college category when rolling a C. Close to home.

Edited by NaTeWHO
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Bernard

Bernard 879

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Posted
4 minutes ago, Rex Kramer said:

I LOVE Bernard’s wild ass accusations. His anti-authority feelings totally blind him to rational thought. 

Can you even read? Please tell me you didn’t graduate from Texas. I made no accusation at all. I merely pointed out that there are other possibilities besides the story told during the FBI’s own self fellating report of their own successful operation. 

Bernard

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Posted
1 minute ago, Bernard said:

Can you even read? Please tell me you didn’t graduate from Texas. I made no accusation at all. I merely pointed out that there are other possibilities besides the story told during the FBI’s own self fellating report of their own successful operation. 

Bernard

I can read, fuckface. I just have read your dumbass shit on three boards. I know how you think. You’re fucked up, Bernard, and your shit’s all retarded. 

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Doc Reeves

Doc Reeves 6434

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Posted

Entrapment is certainly a club in the golf bag of the FBI, but I feel there are way more good eggs than bad in the FBI/Secret Service. 

I doubt there was active entrapment if the investigation had more than 1 or 2 agents. We'll see what the evidence is, but it certainly doesn't look good for our friend from Plano.

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NeverMarryAStripper

NeverMarryAStripper 21922

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Posted (edited)

Even if it was entrapment, it still wouldn’t look good for him.

Ever notice how whenever some man or woman tries to hire someone to kill their spouse they always seem to end up asking a LEO informant to do the hit?  Makes you wonder how many informants there are.

Edited by NeverMarryAStripper
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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31538

Posted
Posted

It isn't actually entrapment because the criminal idea originated with our boy Matin.  But, I question the actual dangerousness of this kid who couldn't seem to generate any partners in crime or assistance from anyone other than an FBI plant.

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Guest

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

It isn't actually entrapment because the criminal idea originated with our boy Matin.  But, I question the actual dangerousness of this kid who couldn't seem to generate any partners in crime or assistance from anyone other than an FBI plant.

Doesn’t matter. Try him as an adult and send him away forever. 

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futureman

futureman 22549

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Lotta resources expended on a lone teen.

 

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

It isn't actually entrapment because the criminal idea originated with our boy Matin.  But, I question the actual dangerousness of this kid who couldn't seem to generate any partners in crime or assistance from anyone other than an FBI plant.

you serious, clark?  how many people have lone teens gunned down?  tell me how this situation should have been handled any differently than the way it was handled.  would you rather have let him shoot up the mall so we could all stomp our feet and cry about gun control?

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DaggerHorns

DaggerHorns 3096

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, futureman said:

 

you serious, clark?  how many people have lone teens gunned down?  tell me how this situation should have been handled any differently than the way it was handled.  would you rather have let him shoot up the mall so we could all stomp our feet and cry about gun control?

Yes, we could have let this turn into another Parkland and had another dumbass like Emma Gonzo babbling about their idiocy!

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31538

Posted
Posted (edited)
53 minutes ago, futureman said:

 

you serious, clark?  how many people have lone teens gunned down?  tell me how this situation should have been handled any differently than the way it was handled.  would you rather have let him shoot up the mall so we could all stomp our feet and cry about gun control?

Fair point. But most of those lone teens use the $1400 this dumbshit sent to an informant to go to Dicks and buy an AR and 200 rounds. And the FBI has kind of a history of taking dumbass pre-terrorists like this kid and stringing them up, while missing kinda big things like 9/11.  See, e.g. the Newburgh Four.

 

Also, at this juncture, all we've heard is a bunch of grandstanding by cops, there's probably another side to the story.

 

I am rather intrigued by the fact that the feds didn't take the prosecution, they almost always do.

 

Also, begs the question, since they drew a bead on this kid as potentially violent, isn't there something they could have done from a psychological standpoint other than put him with an informant and induce him into terroristic crimes?  If "our" ability to identify and "arrest" or deal with nascent lone teen gunmen hinges on six-month FBI sting operations and informants, it seems something is probably wrong with our approach.

 

If he's expressed a desire to injure others, haul him in for an involuntary commitment and psych eval.  Bring him in for questioning if you can't arrest him for something relatively minor.  That'd probably jerk a square knot in most of these fucks' asses.  A lot of these guys seem to operate in some delusional fantasyland, and like most criminals, never consider that they'll get caught other than going down in some 77 virgins blaze of glory.  A couple of hours in an interview room with Bunk Moreland would probably go a long way to tamping down their tendencies.  If not, use the informant and six-month investigation.

Edited by TwiceHorn
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Aqua Buddha

Aqua Buddha 14615

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

It isn't actually entrapment because the criminal idea originated with our boy Matin.  But, I question the actual dangerousness of this kid who couldn't seem to generate any partners in crime or assistance from anyone other than an FBI plant.

He didn't need any partners.  All he needed was an assault rifle and lots of ammo, which "lone teens" find easy to get anymore.  

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TwiceHorn

TwiceHorn 31538

Posted
Posted (edited)
11 hours ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Police set up stings all the time for child molesters.  What is the problem with them setting up stings for mass shooters?

I get it, particularly as pertains to shooters, rather than terrorists.  Still, as I guess best expressed above, this seems to be using a 155mm howitzer on a gnat.

It doesn't sit right with me.

Edited by TwiceHorn
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Shmitty

Shmitty 112

Posted
Posted
On 5/2/2018 at 9:09 PM, TwiceHorn said:

It isn't actually entrapment because the criminal idea originated with our boy Matin.  But, I question the actual dangerousness of this kid who couldn't seem to generate any partners in crime or assistance from anyone other than an FBI plant.

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Shmitty

Shmitty 112

Posted
Posted (edited)

I live like a couple miles from this Hindu temple so this literally hits close to home.  

 

Question the dangerousness of this kid all you want, but he was apparently days, weeks, or months away from legally being able to buy a gun and ammo, and that's all that really matters.  

Edited by Shmitty
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