Two 20‑year‑old men from Dearborn, Michigan, have been arrested after prosecutors say they plotted an ISIS‑inspired mass shooting targeting LGBTQ+ venues in the Detroit area on Halloween night.
According to an FBI affidavit and a criminal complaint, Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud allegedly conspired with at least five unnamed adults and one minor (referred to as “Person 1”). Prosecutors say Ali and Person 1 were planning to carry out the attack, while others in the group intended to travel to Syria to join Islamic State forces.
On 19–20 September, Ali and Mahmoud reportedly identified three businesses along Woodward Avenue near 9 Mile Road in Ferndale as potential targets — venues the complaint says “intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community.” Ferndale is known as a hub for LGBTQ+ life in the region.
Local leaders compared the alleged plot to the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, which left 49 people dead. Oakland County executive Dave Coulter — formerly Ferndale’s openly gay mayor — called the plan “disturbing.”
After weeks of surveillance, the FBI obtained search warrants for the men’s Dearborn homes and a storage unit Ali rented in Inkster. Agents seized a cache of weapons and equipment, including three AR‑15‑style rifles, two shotguns, four pistols, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, tactical vests and backpacks, and several GoPro cameras.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that the bureau “stopped a massacre before it could happen,” saying the suspects were “stockpiling weapons, scouting targets, and training at gun ranges.” He added the FBI “acted fast, followed the evidence, and likely saved countless lives.”
Ali and Mahmoud were charged with transferring, or attempting to transfer, weapons and ammunition intended for use in a ‘federal crime of terrorism’. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.
