New court documents reveal Chicago teen's connection to plot for mass murder at Shia mosque
CHICAGO (CBS) – Newly unsealed court documents reveal a 15-year-old boy from Chicago is accused of plotting with two other teens – one from Maine and one from Kentucky – to attack at least one Shia mosque in Chicago and commit mass murder.
The revelations come one month after 18-year-old Xavier Pelkey, of Waterville, Maine, was arrested on federal charges of having unregistered explosive devices.
Investigators have said they conducted a search warrant on Pelkey's home in Maine in February, and found homemade explosive devices composed of bundles of fireworks and sharp metal objects such as staples, pins, and thumb tacks.
An FBI bomb technician determined that the items were designed to increase the amount of shrapnel propelled if they were detonated. Pelkey claimed he only had "fireworks" in his apartment and had taped them together for a "bigger boom," but did not answer as to why they were full of staples and other sharp objects, investigators said.
At the time of Pelkey's arrest, prosecutors said they believe he planned to come to Chicago to attack houses of worship. Prosecutors said Pelkey was talking to two juveniles about his plans to attack a mosque and possible a synagogue.
According to a newly unsealed FBI affidavit, the two juveniles Pelkey was plotting with were a 15-year-old boy from Chicago and a 17-year-old boy from Kentucky.
Days before the search of Pelkey's home, FBI agents also executed a search warrant at the 15-year-old boy's home in Chicago, and during that search, the boy told agents he had been in contact with Pelkey – who identified himself on line as "Abdullah" – and the 17-year-old using Instagram and other chat options.
The 15-year-old told the FBI the three were planning to attack a Shia mosque in the Chicago area in late March, during "spring break," and that Pelkey was going to acquire guns and ammunition, and had built a bomb, in order to "get more people."
According to the affidavit, the 15-year-old said they were planning to enter the mosque "and separate the adults from the children, then murder the adults."
"If they had not encountered law enforcement at that point, they would continue on to another Shia mosque or Jewish synagogue and execute the same plan. They did not have a plan to escape but rather their plan ended with them being shot by law enforcement," the affidavit stated.
FBI agents seized multiple weapons from the 15-year-old boy's home, including a Remington pump shotgun, swords, knives, a bow and arrows; along with multiple homemade ISIS flags.
When the FBI raided Pelkey's home six days later, he admitted he was the one behind the "Abudullah" account who had been in contact with the other two teens, and agents found three homemade explosive devices in a backpack in his bedroom, as well as two hand-painted ISIS flags.
Two days after the search of Pelkey's home, the FBI also raided the home of a 17-year-old boy in Kentucky, who admitted to communicating with Pelkey and the other teen, and said he wanted to die as a martyr "while fighting in the cause of Allah."
He also said Pelkey had talked about gathering materials to make explosives for the attack.
Pelkey is being held without bond. It's unclear if the two other teens will face charges in the case.
