Former National Guardsman arrested in foiled ISIS-inspired attack on Army site
Federal authorities arrested a former member of Michigan’s Army National Guard who was allegedly planning a mass shooting at a U.S. Army facility in Warren, Michigan, on behalf of ISIS, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday, May 14. Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said, 19, is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device.
“Thanks to the tireless efforts of law enforcement, we foiled the attack before lives were lost,” Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to bring the full force of the department to find and prosecute those who seek to harm our men and women in the military and to protect all Americans.”
According to the complaint, Said enlisted in the National Guard in 2022 and was discharged from the Taylor Armory in 2024. The complaint didn’t specify a reason for his dismissal.
FBI agents posed as ISIS operatives
According to the DOJ, Said revealed a detailed plan to two undercover FBI agents, whom he believed were fellow ISIS supporters. He described a mass shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command facility in Warren.
The agents pretended they would carry out the attack using Said’s plan and claimed to be acting on behalf of ISIS to gain his trust.
Authorities said Said actively supported the planned attack by providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines, teaching the agents how to use firearms and make Molotov cocktails, and using a drone to scout the base. He allegedly helped map out specific targets within the facility, including how to breach the perimeter and which building to attack.
On Tuesday, May 13, the planned day of the attack, federal agents arrested Said after he traveled near the military base and launched his drone, the DOJ said in a press release.
Federal officials praise plot’s disruption
“The defendant allegedly tried to carry out an attack on a military facility in support of ISIS, which was disrupted thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners,” said Assistant Director Donald M. Holstead of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to detect and stop terrorist plans aimed at the American homeland or at U.S. interests overseas.”
Detention and possible sentence
The U.S. Attorney’s Office plans to request pretrial detention, arguing that Said poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
