FBI nabs Boston police captain’s son, who planned ISIS-inspired attack on Fourth of July

FBI nabs Boston police captain’s son, who planned ISIS-inspired attack on Fourth of July
By Mark Ellis, Special to ASSIST News Service
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ANS - July 13, 2015) -- The son of an esteemed Boston police captain was arrested July 4th as he planned ISIS-inspired terror attacks against a college campus, according to ABC News.
Alexander Ciccolo, 23, of Adams, Mass., was taken into custody on gun charges after he purchased two rifles and two pistols from an undercover FBI confidential informant, federal officials told ABC News.
In a search of his apartment, officials said it was filled with bomb-making equipment including a pressure cooker, a variety of chemicals, an alarm clock, “attack planning papers” and “jihad” paperwork.
FBI agents said he adopted the name Abu Ali al-Amriki and neighbors said he had been a recent convert to Islam. Ciccolo was estranged from his father and the two had minimal contact in the last few years.
“This is a very bad person arrested before he could do very bad things,” one senior federal official briefed on the arrest told ABC News.
Last week FBI Director James Comey said agents had taken into custody more than 10 people with suspected ties to ISIS and that the arrests thwarted attacks planned on the Fourth of July.
“I do believe that our work disrupted efforts to kill people, likely in connection with July 4th,” Comey said.
Ciccolo’s arrest was among the ones that interrupted a planned attack, officials stated.
An FBI affidavit said Ciccolo originally planned to go to “another state” and use the pressure cooker bomb against law enforcement personnel and U.S. military locations.
But Ciccolo abruptly changed his plan and decided to target “college dorms and cafeteria, to include executions of students, which would be broadcast live via the internet.”
Photo captions: 1) Captain Robert Ciccolo. 2) Weapons allegedly purchased by the younger Ciccolo.
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About the writer: Mark Ellis is a senior correspondent for the ASSIST News Service and also the founder of www.Godreports.com, a website that shares stories, testimonies and videos from the church around the world to build interest and involvement in world missions.
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