Federal investigators say an ISIS-inspired Halloween plot in suburban Detroit was thwarted after suspects allegedly planned to mimic the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida. Court documents reveal that three individuals — Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud, and a juvenile known as “Athari” — plotted to attack clubs in Ferndale, Michigan, a city known for its LGBT nightlife. The FBI says the group’s ISIS-inspired Halloween plot aimed to replicate high-casualty terror attacks like Pulse and the 2015 Paris attacks.
The men allegedly scouted potential targets in September, raising suspicions since none were old enough to enter nightclubs legally. According to the FBI affidavit, the suspects referred to their targets as “pumpkin” and exchanged messages about doing “the same thing as France.” Agents monitoring the group executed search warrants Friday on homes and a shared storage unit, seizing semiautomatic rifles, a shotgun, handguns, tactical gear, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition.
Authorities also obtained video evidence showing the suspects practicing at a Michigan gun range. Investigators believe the men sought spiritual approval from a local extremist cleric before finalizing the plot. The FBI says the group’s online communications referenced ISIS propaganda and discussions about timing the attack to inspire future radicals.
Ali and Mahmoud remain in federal custody without bail and are scheduled for detention hearings in Detroit next Monday. The juvenile suspect is being held separately under federal juvenile statutes. FBI officials emphasized that swift action and community vigilance prevented another mass casualty event.
The 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, which left 49 dead and 53 wounded, remains one of the deadliest terror attacks on U.S. soil since 9/11.
