An 18-year-old from Idaho was apprehended in the early hours on Saturday, accused of plotting a terror attack on churchgoers in his hometown in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS). Alexander Scott Mercurio from Coeur d’Alene was taken into custody as part of an FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force investigation. The investigators allege he was preparing to carry out his assault on Sunday.
Mercurio, according to a federal criminal complaint, was “attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS.” Furthermore, it has been reported that his plans were timed to occur at the conclusion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The defendant allegedly outlined his scheme comprehensively to an FBI confidential human source detailing plans to attack all of the 21 churches in town, killing as many people as possible and burning each church down. “Stop close by the church, equip the weapon(s) and storm the temple, kill as many people as possible before they inevitably disperse/scatter, then burn the temple to the ground and flee the scene,” Mercurio wrote in notes detailing his planned attack.
A search of Mercurio’s home by investigators found an ISIS flag, butane canisters, a knife, a pipe, a machete, and several firearms belonging to his father, which were meant to be part of the attack. He’s also reported to have propagated ISIS propaganda online and discussed financial aid for the group and potential travel to West Africa to assist its operations.
The investigation reportedly began while the FBI was scrutinizing a cryptocurrency-based fundraising network designed to facilitate ISIS in Syria and its Afghan affiliate ISIS-K financially. During this examination, Mercurio and three unidentified suspects were identified as financially supporting somebody in Gaza, who remains unnamed in the documents.
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