Authorities say a teenager planned to attack churches in a northern Idaho city using a metal pipe, butane fuel, a machete and potentially his father’s guns.
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Mercurio told one informant he intended to incapacitate his father with the pipe, handcuff him and steal his guns and a car to carry out the attack in Coeur d'Alene, according to an FBI agent's sworn statement in the case unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court. The recording was to accompany a photo the informant took of Mercurio in front of the Islamic State flag holding up a knife and his index finger in a gesture commonly used by the group, the statement alleged.
Mercurio told a confidential informant that he first connected with the Islamic State group during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were closed, Taylor said, and investigators later found several files on his school-issued laptop detailing Islamic State group ideology.
“I have motivation for nothing but fighting ... like some time of insatiable bloodlust for the life juice of these idolators; a craving for mayhem and murder to terrorize those around me. I need some better weapons than knives," the direct message said, according to the statement.
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