EXCLUSIVE TO FOX: Two men from Michigan have been charged with plotting a terror attack inspired by ISIS, allegedly aiming to carry out a mass shooting in a Detroit suburb during Halloween, as detailed in an FBI affidavit.
According to court documents, Mohmed Ali, hailing from Dearborn, Michigan, and Majed Mahmoud, are accused of orchestrating a terror-inspired assault, which they had codenamed “pumpkin.” Both men face charges of receiving, transferring, and attempting to handle firearms, with the knowledge and reasonable belief that these weapons would be used for terrorist activities.
The complaint reveals that Ali had practiced shooting at a local gun range multiple times. He was often accompanied by Mahmoud, a juvenile suspect identified as “Person 1” and known by the alias “Athari,” as well as an unnamed individual referred to as “Co-conspirator 4.”
The charges were filed despite Amir Makled, Ali’s attorney, asserting to the Associated Press that there was no plot and expressing doubt about any charges being brought. Makled did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for a comment on Monday.
Surveillance footage captures still images of Mohmed Ali at a Michigan gun range. (Eastern District of Michigan)
The accused men made their court appearance on Monday.
William Swor, a defense attorney for Mahmoud, told reporters outside the courthouse he needed more time to review the complaint before commenting. But he said both defendants were 20 years old.
“Well, the complaint is 73 pages long,” he said, in response to multiple questions. “We haven’t had time to digest it or review it. There’s nothing to say at this point.”
WATCH: Defense attorney in thwarted Halloween terror attack addresses media outside federal courthouse
In one exchange, intercepted by law enforcement, according to an affidavit, the unnamed juvenile suspect allegedly insisted that the attack should take place on Halloween and not a later date.
“So ya, I talked to my brothers. We are going to do pumpkin,” he allegedly told Ali. “I talked to…[Co-conspirator 4] and [Co-conspirator 5], they said it is getting bad. So we got to do pumpkin, ya.”
Read the complaint:
Before they could act, however, authorities served federal search warrants on both men’s homes and a storage unit in nearby Inkster, recovering three AR-15-style rifles, two shotguns, four pistols and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, along with other evidence including GoPro cameras, tactical vests and other gear.
“With today’s unsealed criminal complaint, the American people can see the results of months of tireless investigative work where the FBI acted quickly and likely saved many lives,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital. “We’ll continue to follow the facts, uphold the law, and deliver justice for the American people.”
FBI agents search a home in Dearborn, Michigan, with alleged connections to the thwarted Halloween terror attack plot on Oct. 31, 2025. (WJBK)
The alleged plot began on Sept. 1 and was supposed to be launched against the public on Halloween, but federal authorities said they thwarted the attack.
“Thanks to the extraordinary diligence of our U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr., the FBI and state and local law enforcement officers, this plot was stopped before innocent lives were lost,” Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X Monday, after the charges were announced.
The complaint includes multiple unnamed co-conspirators who allegedly practiced shooting at ranges with Ali and Mahmoud. They also allegedly scouted potential attack locations in Ferndale, Michigan, a suburb north of Detroit known in part for its LGBT nightlife.
The scouting trip stood out to investigators as particularly suspicious because none of the suspects are over 21, according to the complaint.
This image taken from surveillance video shows Mohmed Ali, right, and alleged co-conspirator Majed Mahmoud on the left at a Michigan gun range. (Eastern District of Michigan)
Ali and Athari, the juvenile suspect’s alias, were allegedly planning to do the “same thing as France,” in an alleged reference to the Nov. 13, 2015 ISIS attack in France that left 137 dead and more than 400 injured after gunmen and suicide bombers launched a coordinated assault on multiple locations in the French capital.
Surveillance video showed Ali, co-conspirator 5 and “Person 1,” also described as an unnamed juvenile suspect with the alias “Athari,” pictured at the gun range counter. The faces of Co-conspirator 5 and Athari have been redacted. (Eastern District of Michigan)
“Co-conspirator 1” allegedly met with Ali and Athari in late June and early July before traveling abroad. When he returned to the U.S., Customs and Border Patrol agents asked to review his phone — where they allegedly found Google searches involving “ISIS,” the “Islamic State” and selfies showing Co-conspirator 1 wearing tactical gear and holding weapons.
Although ISIS suffered a military defeat in 2019 at the hands of the U.S. and allied forces, the group continues to operate as a terror network, according to the complaint.
The accused conspirators allegedly shared Islamic extremist content on social media, including in WhatsApp group chats, Instagram and on Discord, and allegedly went to the father of a local “Islamic extremist ideologue” for advice after zeroing in on Halloween as the day to launch the attack.
FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill on May 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla)
Ali and Mahmoud were both legally able to purchase firearms, and investigators allegedly uncovered numerous purchases of guns and modifications through bank records and his browsing history, according to the complaint.
The weapons included a 12-gauge Beretta A300 Ultima Competition shotgun, a Daniel Defense M4 V7 rifle, multiple models of 5.56 rifles from Palmetto State Armory, and a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol. They also bought more than 1,600 5.56 rounds and had it shipped to Mahmoud, according to the affidavit.
