A Pennsylvanian teen that had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State has been arrested on terrorism-related charges. The Associated Press reported that 19-year-old Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz of Harrisburg was arrested on “two counts of attempting to provide material support to terrorists.” Blessedly, no on was in immediate danger, according to the mayor of Harrisburg. But court documents show that some sort of attack might have been in the works:
Court documents said a "go bag" or "tactical-style backpack" found in Aziz's closet during a Nov. 27 search contained a high-capacity magazine loaded with ammunition, a modified kitchen knife, a thumb drive, a tin filled with medicine and a full face mask similar to those worn by Islamic State militants. Aziz may have been "preparing to conduct or assist others in conducting an attack in the United States," according to a criminal complaint.[…]
He has used 57 different Twitter accounts -- all traced to the home he shares with his parents -- to advocate violence, encourage people to fund jihadist groups and express a desire to travel to territory controlled by the Islamic State group, the complaint said. Aziz would create a new account each time Twitter suspended him for violating its terms of service, court documents said.
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Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse told pennlive.com that the city was aware of Aziz "and at no point was public safety in jeopardy."
Relating to his charges, Philly.com reported that Aziz, who called himself “Colonel Shami,” allegedly acted as the middleman concerning the transference of maps and phone numbers with several members of ISIS.
It’s a chilling reminder of not only how persistent our enemy is, but how ISIS has used efficiently used social media for recruitment. In New York, a pizza parlor owner pleaded guilty last week on charges that he recruited for the Islamic State. The suspect, Mufid Elfgeeh, also used social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, to conduct his operations.