Federal prosecutors have charged two Michigan men with allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired Halloween weekend attack in Michigan.
The case stems from an FBI investigation that led to coordinated raids on the suspects’ homes and a storage unit, where agents reportedly found multiple AR-15-style rifles, shotguns, handguns, tactical vests, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, and evidence of extremist communications tied to ISIS-inspired activity. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force also assisted in the search operations across the Detroit area.
According to a 73-page criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud, both U.S. citizens, face charges of receiving, transferring, and conspiring to transfer firearms and ammunition while allegedly knowing the weapons would be used to commit a federal act of terrorism. Federal officials believe the suspects had scouted possible targets in Ferndale, Michigan, including LGBTQ+ bars and clubs, though no specific attack location was finalized.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday that agents had “thwarted a potential terrorist attack,” confirming that five people were arrested during the investigation. However, only Ali and Mahmoud have been formally charged.
Court documents allege the pair purchased a shotgun, multiple AR-15-style rifles, and a “forced reset trigger that allows a shooter to increase the rate of fire in a semiautomatic weapon.” They and several unnamed co-conspirators allegedly practiced shooting at ranges around Michigan and used encrypted messaging apps and social media to exchange ISIS-related propaganda and plans for attacks modeled after previous terrorist incidents.
Investigators say the group discussed traveling overseas to join ISIS, but ultimately decided to remain in the United States to carry out a domestic attack, allegedly referencing “the same thing as France,” an apparent nod to the 2015 Paris attacks, and mentioning the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting as inspiration.
Court documents describe coded language used by the suspects, including repeated references to “pumpkins” when discussing their Halloween plot. On October 17, Ali allegedly told another individual, “We’ve got some new plan for real — for real,” urging the person to “learn how to shoot.” The next day, he reportedly said he would hold a meeting to outline their next steps.
Later conversations suggest the men debated whether to move forward, but continued referring to “pumpkin” as the code for their plan. One exchange quoted in the complaint reads: “In another conversation on October 19, 2025, Person 1 and ALI again referenced ‘pumpkin’ and Person 1 told ALI to ‘change it back.’ ALI then told Person 1 ‘that isn’t happening’ and said, ‘if that happens, the thing is you won’t know once you see it on the news, the open news.’ On October 24, another associate allegedly told Ali, “I talked to my brothers. We are going to do pumpkin,” indicating their intent to proceed.
Two of the five initially detained suspects were released without charges, while Ali and Mahmoud remain in federal custody. If convicted, the men could face lengthy prison sentences under federal anti-terrorism statutes.
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