The FBI arrested a 17-year-old McKinney boy accused of plotting to assassinate U.S. Rep. Keith Self (R-Texas) and carry out an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in North Texas, WFAA reporter Jason Whitely reported Wednesday.
Self said Wednesday that he and his family are safe and thanked the FBI and other law enforcement officers for stopping the threat.
Arrest preceded alleged attack date
Federal agents arrested the teenager on October 5 after he obtained a firearm, Whitely reported. Investigators believed the teen planned to assassinate Self on October 17.
The teenager had already drawn the FBI’s attention, and investigators believed he had recently become radicalized through ISIS material he found online, Whitely said.
The suspect remained in federal custody in North Texas at the time of Whitely’s report. The reporter did not identify the teenager or specify the charges in his video account.
Whitely described the alleged attack as ISIS-inspired. His report did not establish whether the teenager belonged to the terrorist group or acted under its direction.
Self vows to continue
Self said confronting radical Islam carries personal risks that he is willing to accept. He pointed to the sacrifices of the nation’s founders and his own 25-year military career in explaining his response.
“This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down,” Self wrote in his Facebook statement.
The congressman previously discussed Islam, Sharia law and extremism with host Sarah Zubiate-Bennett during a Let’s Talk Local interview. The Dallas Express covered his warning that Americans had grown too complacent about protecting their freedoms.
During that discussion, Self urged Americans to understand extremist efforts to gain influence in public institutions. He also distinguished those movements from Muslims who want to live peacefully as Americans.
Self represents Texas’ 3rd Congressional District. A retired Army lieutenant colonel, he served three terms as Collin County judge before entering Congress, his official biography states.
Provided by Dallas Express
