In a significant development in Michigan, a third individual has been implicated in a suspected terror plot slated for Halloween, as investigators revealed. Authorities have charged Ayob Nasser, 19, who allegedly visited a Midwest amusement park to assess its suitability for the planned attack.
Nasser’s arrest on Wednesday comes amid allegations that he was part of a scheme to target LGBTQ+ bars in a Detroit suburb, a plan reportedly inspired by the extremist group Islamic State, according to federal officials. His involvement in the plot underscores the gravity of the threat facing the community.
On the same day, acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba from New Jersey disclosed via social media that two additional individuals were charged in connection to this alleged conspiracy. However, specific court documents detailing these charges are yet to be released to the public.
Court documents state that Nasser, alongside his brother Mohmed Ali and another suspect, Majed Mahmoud, face charges of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated terrorist organization. They are also accused of dealings in firearms and ammunition intended for acts of terrorism.
Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud had been apprehended the previous Friday. Investigators have also noted the involvement of two minors, referred to as Person 1 and Person 2, in the planning discussions, though their identities remain confidential.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. issued a firm statement, reassuring the public of ongoing efforts to combat terrorism. “We will not stop. We will follow the tentacles where they lead. We will continue to stand guard with the FBI against terrorism,” he emphasized, highlighting the commitment of law enforcement to dismantling such threats.
It was unclear whether Nasser has an attorney. An attorney representing Nasser in an unrelated civil lawsuit, Hussein Shadi Bazzi, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to court records, Nasser is one of two people being sued in federal court by the makers of the popular video game Fortnite. The two are accused of making thousands of fake “bot” accounts that earned “tens of thousands of dollars in unearned payments.”
Two attorneys representing Ali and Mahmoud declined to comment when reached by phone Wednesday evening, and both said they are reading through an amended 93-page complaint filed in federal court. One of the attorneys, Amir Makled, over the weekend seemed to wave off the allegations, saying they were the result of “hysteria” and “fear-mongering.”
Ali and Mahmoud made brief appearances in federal court Monday and will remain in custody at least until a Nov. 10 detention hearing.
FBI agents had surveilled the group for weeks, even using a camera on a pole outside a Dearborn house, according to the court filing. Investigators also got access to encrypted chats and other conversations and scoured social media posts.
According to the court filing, investigators searched the residences of the group, an auto repair shop operated by Ali and Nasser’s family and a storage unit rented by Ali. Authorities found AR-15-style rifles, ammunition, loaded handguns and GoPro cameras, as well as tactical vests and backpacks.
Five cellular devices were also seized, the FBI said.
Investigators said that Ali, Mahmoud and one of the minors, Person 1, visited bars in Ferndale, a northern suburb of Detroit, despite all being under the legal drinking age. The city attracts tens of thousands of people to its annual Pride parade.
Nasser and Person 2 traveled twice in September to “an amusement park in the Midwest, approximately three hours from Dearborn, Michigan,” court documents say, citing phone records and surveillance footage. Investigators say a computer at the home of Nasser and Ali revealed that someone had searched “is it crowded on halloweekend” at the amusement park.
The documents do not name the amusement park. But Cedar Point, an amusement park near Cleveland, Ohio, appears to match the description and special Halloween hours outlined in the complaint. A spokesperson for Cedar Point did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the new court filing, investigators said a group chat between the men indicated a Halloween attack with repeated references to pumpkins and pumpkin emojis. In the group chat, one of the unnamed conspirators wrote “American Jewish Center,” and Nasser responded “pumpkin sounds good now.”
The court filing says Person 1 regularly consulted the father of a “local Islamic extremist ideologue” about when to commit a “good deed.”
Phone records also showed members of the group looked up information on various mass killings, including the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting and the deadly 2025 New Orleans truck attack.
