An Idaho teenager has been arrested by the FBI under suspicion of attempting to carry out mass shootings at churches in support of ISIS.
Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, was accused in a court filing of “attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organisation”.
He contacted ISIS affiliates and expressed support for the organisation and other extremist groups, according to the FBI, which cited "confidential human sources".
Mr Mercurio is also accused of spreading ISIS propaganda online.
“At the beginning of 2024, his conduct escalated to Mercurio planning to carry out a suicide attack on a church(es) in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho,” said the filing, released on Tuesday.
“His attack plan involved using flame-covered weapons, explosives, knives, a machete, a pipe and ultimately firearms.”
The FBI said it first became aware of Mr Mercurio's activities in 2021, when it was investigating a fund-raising network that uses cryptocurrency exchanges and other financial services platforms to support ISIS and other organisations operating in Syria.
It said that after Mr Mercurio was identified, an investigation of his computer revealed documents and photos showing his support for ISIS, including an image in which he appeared in front of the group's flag.
“I am going to perform a martyrdom operation very soon,” he allegedly wrote in one message. “The targets will be the various churches in my town,” he said, as he wanted to “fix” the problem of too many such places of worship in the area.
He added that he would carry out his plan in the last days of Ramadan, according to the court filing.
Mr Mercurio was arrested by the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force the day before his alleged planned attack.
The FBI executed a search warrant at Mr Mercurio's family's home, CBS reported, with investigators seizing a metal pipe, butane, hand sanitiser, a machete and several firearms locked in his father's wardrobe.
A court date for the case has yet to be set.
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Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
