Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif—born Joseph Anthony Davis—is an American convert to Islam serving an 18-year prison sentence for a 2011 terror plot. Abdul-Latif, along with two co-conspirators—one of them an FBI informant—had planned to attack a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Seattle, Washington.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 1.

Between 2010 and 2011, Abdul-Latif operated a YouTube channel under the username “Akabdullatif.”Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, “Akabdullatif,” YouTube, accessed 7/6/2016, https://www.youtube.com/user/akabdullatif. Of the 22 uploads on his channel—active as of late 2016—13 are unoriginal content and include conspiracy documentaries on 9/11 and U.S. ambitions to destroy Islam. The other nine videos are religious diatribes and rants by Abdul-Latif.Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, “Akabdullatif,” YouTube, accessed 7/6/2016, https://www.youtube.com/user/akabdullatif. In many of these videos, he espouses on U.S. “plots” to plunder and destroy the Middle East and Islam. In others, he calls on Muslims to take up jihad and seek martyrdom.“The Seattle Terror Plot & Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif’s Online Messages,” Anti-Defamation League, June 30, 2011, www.adl.org/combating-hate/international-extremism-terrorism/c/abdul-latif-seattle-plot.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/#.V328qbgrI2w.

Abdul-Latif is believed to have venerated al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In one of Abdul-Latif’s YouTube videos—posted ten months before Awlaki’s September 2011 death in a U.S. drone strike—Abdul-Latif argued: “[U.S. President Barack Obama has] made war against Islam. He’s even put a hit on Anwar al Awlaki, our brother sheik, may Allah protect him.”Akabdullatif, “Advice for the Ummah,” YouTube video, 14:58, Posted November 18, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWnzecATWIM;
“Obituary: Anwar al-Awlaki,” BBC News, September 30, 2011, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-11658920. Adul-Latif also commented on a YouTube video in which Awlaki discussed the 2009 Fort Hood shootings, saying, “Hopefully there will be more soldiers who come out of the woodwork to serve Allah.”“The Seattle Terror Plot & Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif’s Online Messages,” Anti-Defamation League, June 30, 2011, www.adl.org/combating-hate/international-extremism-terrorism/c/abdul-latif-seattle-plot.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/#.V328qbgrI2w. In addition, Abdul-Latif created a YouTube playlist called “Islamic Jihad,” which contained multiple lectures by al-Qaeda co-founder Abdullah Azzam.Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif, “Akabdullatif,” YouTube, Accessed 7/6/2016, https://www.youtube.com/user/akabdullatif.

In March 2011, Abdul-Latif and a Los Angeles man named Walli Mujahidh began planning a terror attack on a U.S. military installation, tentatively selecting Joint Base Lewis-McChord. On May 30, 2011, Abdul-Latif approached his friend, felon and sex offender Robert Childs, to participate in the attack.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 37. Several days later, Childs reported the plot to members of the Seattle Police Department, who subsequently hired him as an informant.Trevor Aaronson, “FBI Informant Faces Criminal Trial in Key West,” Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, December 26, 2014, www.fcir.org/2014/12/26/fbi-informant-faces-criminal-trial-in-key-west/.

According to the FBI, Abdul-Latif sought to attack the U.S. military as retribution for what he perceived as atrocities committed against Muslims by U.S. soldiers. In private conversations with Childs, Abdul-Latif referenced the November 2009 Fort Hood shooting, and asserted that three attackers would be able to cause more damage than one.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 14.

On June 3, 2011, Childs—working as an undercover agent—met with Abdul-Latif and informed him that he would provide firearms for use in the attack.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 13. Three days later, the pair met again and Walli Mujahidh joined via cell phone.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 15. They decided to instead target a Military Entry Processing Station (MEPS) because of heightened security levels at the base.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 16. Abdul-Latif argued that in attacking a MEPS station, they would be killing recruits who would otherwise be sent to fight Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 17.

On June 8, Abdul-Latif and Childs scouted the outside of the Seattle MEPS facility, noting the locations of cameras and guards.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 18. The pair met again two days later and discussed procedure and equipment for the attack.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 20. Soon after, Childs provided firearms and grenades—via the FBI—for Abdul-Latif to inspect.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 24. Additionally, they purchased a bus ticket for Mujahidh which scheduled him to arrive in Seattle on June 21.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 23.

On June 22, the trio met at a Seattle warehouse garage in order to collect the weapons, which the FBI had placed in a duffle bag. FBI agents arrested Abdul-Latif and Mujahidh as they attempted to leave the premises with the weaponry.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 36.

Throughout the planning process Abdul-Latif insisted, as recorded by the FBI, that the targets of the attack were members, or aspiring members, of the U.S. military. Abdul-Latif proposed targeting active duty military personnel and recruits, identifying them by uniform and haircut.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 19.

Abdul-Latif was charged with four counts, including conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States.“Amended Complaint for Violations: United States of America v. Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif a/k/a Joseph Anthony Davis, and Walli Mujahidh a/k/a Frederick Domingue, Jr.” United States District Court Western District of Washington at Seattle, June 23, 2011, 8. In December 2012, Abdul-Latif pled guilty to conspiracy to murder officers and agents of the United States and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.“Seattle Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, December 6, 2012, 1. In March 2013, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.“Seattle Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Attack Seattle Military Processing Center,” U.S. Attorney’s Office, December 6, 2012, 1.

U.S. citizen Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh is a former foreign fighter for al-Qaeda. Between 2007 and 2014, he served in al-Qaeda’s elite external operations arm where he helped to construct a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that was used in an attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan in January 2009. Farekh was arrested by Pakistani forces in 2014 and subsequently extradited to the United States, where he was accused of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. He was charged with eight additional counts in a January 2016 superseding indictment, including conspiring to kill U.S. nationals and use a weapon of mass destruction.“United States District Court Eastern District of New York: United States of America v. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh Superseding Indictment,” Department of Justice, January 6, 2016, 1 – 4, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/811101/download. He was found guilty for terrorism charges in September 2017 and sentenced to 45 years imprisonment on March 13, 2018.Brendan Pierson, “American convicted of supporting al Qaeda, aiding bomb attack,” Reuters, September 29, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-convicted-of-supporting-al-qaeda-aiding-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1C42ZY; Brendan Pierson, “American sentenced to 45 years prison for role in al Qaeda bomb attack,” Reuters, March 13, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-sentenced-to-45-years-prison-for-role-in-al-qaeda-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1GP2AD. Farekh had reportedly self-radicalized in 2006 by listening to the online lectures of American-born al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.“United States District Court Eastern District of New York: United States of America v. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh,” Department of Justice, April 2, 2015, 4, https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf.

Farekh was born in Houston, Texas, in 1985 and grew up in Jordan, Dubai, and Canada, where he was raised in an “upper-income environment.” Between 2005 and 2007, he attended college at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Farekh spoke fluent Arabic, and joined the Muslim Student Association where he met Ferid Imam and Maiwand Yar, two fellow students.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Together with others from the university, Farekh, Imam, and Yar traveled to Saudi Arabia on a religious hajj trip in December 2006. Thereafter, the three men self-radicalized and watched extremist videos that encouraged violent jihad, including Anwar al-Awlaki’s sermons.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant,” Department of Justice, 4, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf ; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf.

In early 2007, Farekh, Imam, and Yar planned to drop out of school to travel to Pakistan and wage jihad.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Farekh and his co-conspirators obtained Pakistani tourist visas and purchased round trip tickets to Karachi, Pakistan, though none of them used the return portion of their tickets.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant,” Department of Justice, 4, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf. In March 2007, the men traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan, to join al-Qaeda and receive training.Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs. “American Citizen Sentenced To 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda”. March 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-sentenced-45-years-conspiring-murder-us-nationals-and-providing-material. Due to his familiarity with the West, Farekh joined al-Qaeda’s external operations arm and assisted senior al-Qaeda figure Abdul Hafeez, before he took a leadership position himself after Hafeez’s death.Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs. “American Citizen Sentenced To 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda”. March 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-sentenced-45-years-conspiring-murder-us-nationals-and-providing-material; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. Farekh was also a member of al-Qaeda’s Abu Bakr al-Saddiq combat battalion.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf.

According to U.S. authorities, Farekh assisted in the construction of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an al-Qaeda attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman, a U.S. military installation used by the U.S. Provincial Reconstruction Team in Khost, Afghanistan. On January 19, 2009, two explosives-laden vehicles approached the base’s gate. One vehicle exploded, but the second was stuck and abandoned without detonating the VBIED. The initial explosion injured one U.S. soldier and numerous Afghan nationals. Authorities believe that the second device would have caused catastrophic damage and mass casualties had it been successfully detonated. Forensic technicians later recovered Farekh’s fingerprints and DNA at the packing tape that was wrapped around the second VBIED binding the explosive materials together.Department of Justice/Office of Public Affairs. “American Citizen Sentenced To 45 Years for Conspiring to Murder U.S. Nationals and Providing Material Support to Al-Qaeda”. March 13, 2018. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-sentenced-45-years-conspiring-murder-us-nationals-and-providing-material; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf.

In late 2014, Farekh was arrested by Pakistani forces acting on intelligence provided by U.S. agencies.Mark Mazzetti and Eric Schmitt, “Terrorism Case Renews Debate Over Drone Hits,” New York Times, April 12, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/us/terrorism-case-renews-debate-over-drone-hits.html; U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant: Sentencing Memorandum” The Investigative Project on Terrorism, January 5, 2018, https://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/case_docs/3634.pdf. In January 2015, the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York issued a criminal complaint and warrant for Farekh’s arrest for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, “United States of America against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Defendant,” Department of Justice, 1 - 13, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/04/02/farekh-complaint.pdf. Farekh was deported from Pakistan in April 2015 and extradited to the United States, where he was arrested by the FBI and charged with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.“Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, Former Winnipeg Student Accused Of Terrorism, Held Under 'Barbaric' Conditions: Lawyer,” Huffington Post, August 26, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/08/26/barbaric-conditions-imposed-on-former-winnipeg-student-accused-of-terrorism-lawyer_n_8042356.html;
“American Citizen Charged With Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists,” Department of Justice, April 2, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/american-citizen-charged-conspiring-provide-material-support-terrorists. Farekh was charged in a January 2016 superseding indictment with nine related terrorism charges, including conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility, and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.Nate Raymond, “American al Qaeda suspect pleads not guilty as U.S. mulls new charges,” Reuters, January 7, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda-idUSKBN0UL2IC20160107;
“United States District Court Eastern District of New York: United States of America v. Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh Superseding Indictment,” Department of Justice, January 6, 2016, 1 – 7, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/811101/download.

On September 29, 2017, Farekh was found guilty by the Federal District Court in Brooklyn for terrorism charges, including conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and support of a foreign terrorist organization. Farekh’s defense attorney filed an appeal.Brendan Pierson, “American convicted of supporting al Qaeda, aiding bomb attack,” Reuters, September 29, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-convicted-of-supporting-al-qaeda-aiding-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1C42ZY.

A federal court in Brooklyn, New York sentenced Farekh to 45 years imprisonment on March 13, 2018. His defense attorney read a letter written by Farekh, which claimed that he now opposed violence and suggested it was possible for young men to be misled into violence. The court did not view his words as an “enthusiastic acceptance of responsibility” nor were they convinced that Farekh was no longer committed to violent jihad. Farekh’s defense attorney announced that he will appeal the conviction.Brendan Pierson, “American sentenced to 45 years prison for role in al Qaeda bomb attack,” Reuters, March 13, 2018, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-alqaeda/american-sentenced-to-45-years-prison-for-role-in-al-qaeda-bomb-attack-idUSKCN1GP2AD.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was an ethnic Chechen, Russian citizen, and Massachusetts resident who carried out the Boston Marathon bombings alongside his younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on April 15, 2013. The explosions killed three people and injured more than 250, 17 of whom became amputees.Steve Annear, “MIT dedicates monument to Sean Collier,” Boston Globe, April 29, 2015, https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/29/mit-dedicate-monument-sean-collier-wednesday/E8aVcQXkrht6KO8D85VPFL/story.html;
Katharine Q. Seelye and Jess Bidgood, “Breaking Silence, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Apologizes for Boston Marathon Bombing,” New York Times, June 24, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/us/boston-marathon-bombing-dzhokhar-tsarnaev.html?_r=0;
Peter Finn, Carol D. Leonnig, and Will Englund, “Tsarnaev brothers’ homeland was war-torn Chechnya,” Washington Post, April 19, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/details-emerge-on-suspected-boston-bombers/2013/04/19/ef2c2566-a8e4-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html. Tamerlan died several days later following a shootout with police.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 19. His brother Dzhokhar was apprehended and sentenced to death in May 2015.Milton J. Valencia and Patricia Wen, “Tsarnaev guilty on all counts in Marathon bombings,” Boston Globe, April 8, 2015,https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/04/08/tsarnaev-jury-begins-second-day-deliberations/t7KplwR18hH1RSuX1BQohM/story.html.

On the day of the attack, the Tsarnaev brothers placed two pressure-cooker bombs near the marathon’s finish line. Each device “killed at least one person, maimed, burned and wounded scores of others, and damaged public and private property,” according to the criminal complaint filed against Dzhokhar.“United States of America v. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,” United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, April 21, 2013, http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/363201342213441988148.pdf. Three days after the bombings, on April 18, the brothers killed police officer Sean Collier, used his gun to carjack a vehicle, and fled to Watertown, Massachusetts, west of Boston.“United States of America v. Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev a/k/a/ ‘Jahar Tsarni,’” United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, June 27, 2013, http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-ma/legacy/2013/06/27/Indictment1.pdf. There, police officers exchanged fire with the brothers and shot Tamerlan in the process. Tamerlan was taken to a local hospital and died that night from injuries sustained in the shootout.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 19.

Tsarnaev was born in Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan, but moved to the United States in 2003, gaining lawful permanent residence.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 9-10. He attended Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, taking up boxing and dating girls. After his graduation, Tsarnaev enrolled in community college, though his focus soon pivoted to Islam. In 2009, Tsarnaev began arguing with his uncle, saying that work and school were of no importance compared to religion.CNN Staff, “Timeline: A look at Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s past,” CNN, April 22, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/21/us/tamerlan-tsarnaev-timeline/;
“Dzhokhar and Tamerlan: A Profile of the Tsarnaev Brothers,” CBS News, April 23, 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dzhokhar-and-tamerlan-a-profile-of-the-tsarnaev-brothers/. Tsarnaev married his high school girlfriend, Katherine Russell, in June 2010.CNN Staff, “Timeline: A look at Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s past,” CNN, April 22, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/21/us/tamerlan-tsarnaev-timeline/;
Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 10. Russell gave birth to their daughter that October.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 10.

In March of 2011, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) asked the FBI to monitor Tsarnaev, worried that he was an extremist and would attempt to travel to Russia to carry out an attack. The FBI opened an investigation and interviewed Tsarnaev, but did not find any links to terrorism.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 11-2. Nevertheless, the FBI ordered Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to alert the Bureau if Tsarnaev passed through U.S. customs. Tsarnaev triggered the CBP alert in January of 2012 when he flew to Moscow, though the FBI was not contacted due to the high volume of individuals the CBP was monitoring that day. A secondary CBP alert was not triggered upon Tsarnaev’s return to the United States in July because his last name had been incorrectly spelled in the CBP system.Tom Winter, “Russia Warned U.S. About Tsarnaev, But Spelling Issue Let Him Escape,” NBC News, March 25, 2014, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/boston-bombing-anniversary/russia-warned-u-s-about-tsarnaev-spelling-issue-let-him-n60836.

According to the congressional report to the Committee on Homeland Security, Tamerlan spent time in Makhachkala, Dagestan, during those six months in 2012 and may have come into contact with extremists.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 13-4. Authorities say it is possible that Tamerlan communicated with Russian extremist Nadirshakh Khachilaev, the founder of a Makhachkala mosque who had reportedly previously facilitated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri’s travel to Dagestan in 1997.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 14.

Upon his return to the United States in July 2012, Tsarnaev began following extremists on social media and watching videos of Chechen jihadists on YouTube. He appeared “intrigued by the jihadist rebels in the Caucasus” and might have been “inspired by their general ideology,” according to a congressional report.Majority Staff on the Committee on Homeland Security, “The Road to Boston: Counterterrorism Challenges and Lessons from the Marathon Bombings: House Homeland Security Committee Report,” March 2014, 16. He reportedly began yelling out during sermons at the mosque he attended—angry when the imam celebrated American holidays or praised Martin Luther King, Jr.CNN Staff, “Timeline: A look at Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s past,” CNN, April 22, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/21/us/tamerlan-tsarnaev-timeline/.

The Tsarnaev brothers may have been inspired to murder in part by the teachings of al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Law enforcement agents found evidence that Dzhokhar listened to Awlaki’s lectures online. Dzhokhar allegedly told officials that he and his brother learned how to make their IEDs from directions found in Inspire, the English-language magazine of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula founded by Awlaki.Daniel Klaidman, “Exclusive: The Awlaki/Tsarnaev Connection,” The Daily Beast, April 26, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/04/26/the-awlaki-connection.html;
Ian Black, “Inspire magazine: the self-help manual for al-Qaida terrorists,”Guardian (London), May 24, 2013,https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2013/may/24/inspire-magazine-self-help-manual-al-qaida-terrorists.

In April 2023, streaming service Netflix releases a docuseries on the Tsarnaev brothers called American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing. The 10-part series interviews survivors, family of the bombing’s victims, as well as people who personally knew the Tsarnaev brothers. The series traces the events that led to Tamerlan’s death and Dzhokhar’s capture.Amanda Richards and Ingrid Ostby, “‘American Manhunt’ Revisits the Boston Marathon Bombing, 10 Years Later,” Netflix, April 12, 2023, https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/american-manhunt-the-boston-marathon-bombing-release-date-news. Boston Globe reporter David Filipov also gives his perspective. Filipov wrote a December 2013 article on the Tsarnaevs that revealed Tamerlan claimed from an early age he heard a voice in his head that told him to commit various acts. According to the 2013 article, one doctor was concerned Tamerlan schizophrenic. Media observers noted this piece of information on Tamerlan’s possible psychosis did not appear in the Netflix series.Laura Jane Turner, “Netflix’s Boston Marathon Bombing documentary doesn’t quite address its own controversy,” Digital Spy, April 13, 2023, https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a43575200/tsarnaev-brothers-boston-marathon-bombing-documentary/.

As of April 2023, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remained on death row at a federal supermax prison in Colorado. In January 2023, Tsarnaev’s attorneys filed an appeal with the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to have Tsarnaev’s death sentence thrown out because of juror misconduct.Alanna Durkin Richer, “Court weighs tossing Boston marathon bomber’s death sentence,” Associated Press, January 10, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/massachusetts-state-government-legal-proceedings-crime-boston-f32276fbfccb77fca2a08ae831d7f4df; Shelley Murphy, “Where the legal battle over Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence stands a decade after the Marathon bombings,” Boston Globe, April 16, 2023, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/16/sports/boston-marathon-bombing-dzhokhar-tsarnaev/.

John Walker Lindh—known colloquially as the “American Taliban”—is a U.S. citizen and convicted former foreign fighter for al-Qaeda and the Taliban. He was captured in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in November 2001 and was transferred to the United States to stand trial on terrorism-related charges, including supplying services to the Taliban and carrying weapons while committing a crime. He was convicted in October 2002 and sentenced to 20 years in the Terre Haute Federal Correctional Institution in Indiana.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html; Felicia Sonmez, “Sen. Shelby says Trump opposes early release of John Walker Lindh,” Washington Post, April 1, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-shelby-says-trump-opposes-early-release-of-john-walker-lindh/2019/04/01/6c26c68a-54e6-11e9-9136-f8e636f1f6df_story.html?utm_term=.ec8e9c502b21. He was released early for good behavior on May 23, 2019.Rachel Weiner, “‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh released from prison after 17 years,” Washington Post, May 23, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-set-to-be-released-from-prison-after-17-years/2019/05/22/11aaba92-7041-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.02e3d2b78aa1.

According to his testimony to the FBI, Lindh grew interested in Islam at age 12 after watching the movie “Malcolm X,” which depicted Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. In 1997, at the age of 16, he converted to Islam and began attending a mosque in Mill Valley, California. He adopted the names Suleyman al-Lindh and Suleyman al-Faris.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. Lindh reportedly became involved with the Sunni missionary group Tablighi Jamaat, which encourages followers to live as the Islamic prophet Muhammad did while rejecting organizational Islam. At the time of Lindh’s capture, experts on the group called it apolitical and did not believe it acted as a bridge to al-Qaeda or the Taliban.Associated Press, “JOHN WALKER LINDH: An American's journey to the Taliban front lines,” Kitsap Sun, December 21, 2001, https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2001/12-21/0063_john_walker_lindh__an_american_s_.html. However, authorities have since investigated the group’s links to a number of radicalized militants.Susan Sachs, “A Muslim Missionary Group Draws New Scrutiny in U.S.,” New York Times, July 14, 2003, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/14/us/a-muslim-missionary-group-draws-new-scrutiny-in-us.html.

Soon after converting to Islam, Lindh moved to Yemen to study Arabic and Islam.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. In October of 2000, he ventured to Pakistan where he enrolled in a madrassa, or an Islamic religious school. He then joined the Pakistani Harakat-ul Mujahedeen (HuM), a terrorist organization dedicated to wrenching Kashmir from Indian control and forming an Islamic state.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html;
Stanford University, “Harkat-ul-Mujahedeen,” accessed October 2016, http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/219.

According to interrogation reports, Lindh crossed the Afghan border in July or August of 2001 to join the Taliban.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. In addition to fighting for the Taliban, Lindh also reportedly trained with al-Qaeda.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. According to his testimony to the FBI, Lindh spent seven weeks at al-Qaeda’s al-Farouq training camp near Kandahar, Afghanistan, beginning on June 1, 2001. Three of those weeks were devoted to weapons familiarization, one week to studying maps/topography, one to battlefield training, and one to explosives.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. According to the FBI, Lindh met al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, who thanked him for “taking part in the Jihad.”“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html.

Lindh was deployed to the Taliban front lines following al-Qaeda’s September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States. He was captured in Kunduz by the U.S.-backed Northern Alliance in November of 2001, and was held prisoner in the Qala-e Janghi fortress outside Mazār-e Sharīf. After a prison uprising on November 25, Lindh was wounded in the thigh by shrapnel while Northern Alliance troops quelled the riot. On December 1, he was transferred to U.S. custody.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. The following day, Lindh gave an interview to CNN in which how his “heart became attached” to the Taliban’s cause while reading about the group in Pakistan.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. He affirmed his decision to wage jihad, calling it the right choice and “exactly what I thought it would be.”“Walker: Prison uprising was ‘a mistake,’” CNN, December 20, 2001, http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/19/ret.taliban.walker/index.html; “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. Lindh claimed he belonged to the Ansar (“Helpers”), a group of Arabic-speaking foreign fighters funded by bin Laden.“Walker: Prison uprising was ‘a mistake,’” CNN, December 20, 2001, http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/12/19/ret.taliban.walker/index.html.

Lindh was held and interrogated at U.S. bases in Afghanistan for two weeks before he was transferred to a navy ship—the USS Peleliu—in the Arabian Sea.“John Walker Lindh Timeline,” Fox News, July 15, 2002, https://www.foxnews.com/story/john-walker-lindh-timeline; “The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed May 8, 2019, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. He was transported to the United States in January 2002, and charged with 10 counts, including conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and aiding a terrorist organization.“Walker Lindh indicted on 10 counts,” CNN, February 6, 2002, http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/02/05/ret.indictment.walker/index.html. Lindh’s lawyers claimed that he had been subjected to torture during his detention and interrogation in Afghanistan.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html.

Lindh reached a plea bargain with prosecutors in July 2002. He agreed to plead guilty to charges of supplying services to the Taliban and carrying weapons while committing a crime. He also agreed to rescind his claims that he had been tortured while in custody. In return, prosecutors dropped the more severe charges of supporting terrorism and conspiring to kill U.S. citizens.Neil A. Lewis, “American Who Joined Taliban Pleads Guilty,” New York Times, July 15, 2002, https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/15/national/american-who-joined-taliban-pleads-guilty.html. In October 2002, Lindh was sentenced to 20 years in prison.“The case of the Taliban American,” CNN, accessed October 2016, http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/walker/profile.html. Under the terms of his plea deal, Lindh provided the U.S. government with information on al-Qaeda and Taliban training camps and fighting in Afghanistan.“Fact Sheet: the Department of Justice Ten Years After 9/11,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 7, 2011, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/fact-sheet-department-justice-ten-years-after-911; Tom Jackman, “In Deal, Lindh Pleads Guilty to Aiding Taliban,” Washington Post, July 16, 2002, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/07/16/in-deal-lindh-pleads-guilty-to-aiding-taliban/d323d911-d0d5-4aaf-8db7-e49eedfc964b/?utm_term=.56677ae6a5b1.

Lindh obtained Irish citizenship in 2013 by citing his paternal grandmother’s birth in the country. He reportedly is reportedly seeking to relocate to Ireland upon his release.Lukas Mikelionis, “John Walker Lindh, American ex-Taliban militant, obtained Irish citizenship thanks to his Irish grandmother,” Fox News, March 20, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/us/john-walker-lindh-american-ex-taliban-militant-obtained-irish-citizenship-thanks-to-his-irish-grandmother. Irish government representatives have stated that, as a citizen, Lindh will not be refused entry into the country. According to a 2017 assessment by the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Lindh remains radicalized.Lukas Mikelionis, “John Walker Lindh, American ex-Taliban militant, obtained Irish citizenship thanks to his Irish grandmother,” Fox News, March 20, 2019, https://www.foxnews.com/us/john-walker-lindh-american-ex-taliban-militant-obtained-irish-citizenship-thanks-to-his-irish-grandmother. A Los Angeles NBC affiliate wrote to Lindh in prison in 2015 asking about his views on ISIS. Lindh wrote back praising ISIS as “very sincere and serious about fulfilling the long-neglected religious obligation to establish a caliphate through armed struggle….” This correspondence reportedly formed the basis for the NCTC’s assessment.Ken Dilanian, “In letter, ‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh said ISIS ‘doing a spectacular job,’” NBC News, May 22, 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/letter-american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-said-isis-doing-spectacular-n1008871.

Lindh received an early release for good behavior on May 23, 2019, despite the NCTC assessment and objections from President Donald Trump and other government officials. Lindh was subjected to three years of supervised release. He was not immediately subjected to restrictions against leaving the country, though he was forbidden from holding a passport. Lindh reportedly refused to sign a document guaranteeing he would not make a pilgrimage to Mecca. In addition to required meetings with a parole officer and mental health counseling, Lindh was forbidden from unmonitored Internet usage, using any language online except English without prior approval, and communication with known extremists.Rachel Weiner, “‘American Taliban’ John Walker Lindh released from prison after 17 years,” Washington Post, May 23, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/american-taliban-john-walker-lindh-set-to-be-released-from-prison-after-17-years/2019/05/22/11aaba92-7041-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.02e3d2b78aa1; Mary Harris, Marina Perelman, and Conan Nolan, “Prison Letters From ‘American Taliban’ Underscore Concerns Over His Supervised Release,” NBC4 Los Angeles – KNBC, May 22, 2019, https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/American-Taliban-John-Walker-Lindh-Prison-Letters-ISIS-Terrorism-510286491.html. Lindh’s supervised release requirement reportedly expired in 2022.Matthew Barakat, “FBI: ‘American Taliban’ Lindh meets with released extremist,” Associated Press, January 26, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-organized-united-kingdom-government-legal-proceedings-726e5ae5da9915bbd8b1d8ea56bfc13e.

Despite the restrictions, the FBI recorded Lindh meeting with convicted ISIS supporter Ali Shukri Amin during the summer and fall of 2021.Adam Rawnsley and Seamus Hughes, “‘American Taliban’ Was Ordered Not to Meet With Extremists. He Did Anyway,” Rolling Stone, January 26, 2023, https://www-rollingstone-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/american-taliban-isis-john-walker-lindh-doj-1234669146/amp/. Amin was sentenced to 136 months in prison in 2015 for conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS. His prison time was to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and monitoring.“Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Providing Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, August 28, 2015, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/virginia-man-sentenced-more-11-years-providing-material-support-isil. He was released on May 4, 2020.“ALI SHUKRI AMIN,” Find an Inmate – Federal Bureau of Prisons, accessed March 9, 2021, https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/. Amin was subjected to lifelong restrictions against meeting with extremists. According to court documents, the FBI recorded the pair meeting on three separate occasions in 2021. Though Lindh’s restrictions expired in 2022, they were in effect during his meetings with Amin in 2021. Authorities launched an investigation into Amin’s alleged parole violation but did not immediately begin an investigation into Lindh. According to court documents, however, Lindh “remains a known extremist and is believed by the FBI to hold extremist ideations.”Matthew Barakat, “FBI: ‘American Taliban’ Lindh meets with released extremist,” Associated Press, January 26, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-organized-united-kingdom-government-legal-proceedings-726e5ae5da9915bbd8b1d8ea56bfc13e.

Abdul Razak Ali Artan was an 18-year-old Somali refugee, suspected domestic terrorist, and alleged ISIS sympathizer. On the morning of November 28, 2016, Artan drove his car into a crowd of people on a sidewalk at the Ohio State University (OSU)—where he was a student—and then proceeded to stab and slash victims with a butcher knife. He wounded 11 people—hitting six with his car and stabbing five others—before he was shot and killed by a campus police officer within one minute of beginning his assault.Brian Ross, Mike Levine, Josh Margolin, and Aaron Katersky, “Officials Investigating Anti-US Facebook Rant Believed Linked to OSU Attacker,” ABC News, November 28, 2016, http://abcnews.go.com/US/osu-attack-suspect-identified-abdul-razak-ali-artan/story?id=43827435;
Mitch Smith, Richard Perez-Pena, and Adam Goldman, “Suspect Is Killed in Attack at Ohio State University That Injured 11,” New York Times, November 28, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/us/active-shooter-ohio-state-university.html. Artan is believed to have been inspired in part by the ideology of late al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Just before the attack, Artan referred to Awlaki as “our hero” in a post on Facebook.Brian Ross, Mike Levine, Josh Margolin, and Aaron Katersky, “Officials Investigating Anti-US Facebook Rant Believed Linked to OSU Attacker,” ABC News, November 28, 2016, http://abcnews.go.com/US/osu-attack-suspect-identified-abdul-razak-ali-artan/story?id=43827435;
Jonathan Dienst, “18-Year-Old Somali Identified As Ohio State Attack Suspect,” NBC New York, November 28, 2016, http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/18-Year-Old-Somali-Identified-As-Ohio-State-Attack-Suspect-403425576.html;
Jake Trapper, Twitter post, November 28, 2016, 5:56 p.m., https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/803417243547799552. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack the following day via the encrypted messaging app Telegram, referring to Artan as the group’s “soldier.”Mitch Smith, Rukmini Callimachi, and Richard Perez-Pena, “ISIS Calls Ohio State University Attacker a ‘Soldier,’” New York Times, November 29, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/ohio-state-university-abdul-artan-islamic-state.html.

Artan was born in Somalia in 1998 and in 2007, his family fled to Pakistan, where he lived for seven years in a refugee camp. He reportedly came to the United States as a legal permanent resident in 2014 with six family members. Artan studied at a community college in Columbus, Ohio, before transferring to OSU in 2016, were he studied logistics management at the business school.Jonathan Dienst, “18-Year-Old Somali Identified As Ohio State Attack Suspect,” NBC New York, November 28, 2016, http://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/18-Year-Old-Somali-Identified-As-Ohio-State-Attack-Suspect-403425576.html;
“What's known about the OSU attack suspect Abdul Razak Ali Artan,” CBS News, November 28, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-state-university-attack-whats-known-about-suspect-abdul-razak-ali-artan/; Melissa Korn, Kris Maher, and Pervais Shallwani, “Ohio State University Says Student Carried Out Attack,” Wall Street Journal, November 28, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/ohio-state-university-reports-active-shooter-on-campus-1480347704. In August 2016, he was interviewed by OSU’s school newspaper, The Lantern. Artan spoke to the reporter about what he perceived to be the media’s inaccurate portrayal of Muslims: “I’m a Muslim, it’s not what the media portrays me to be. If people look at me, a Muslim praying, I don’t know what they’re going to think, what’s going to happen.”Kevin Stankiewicz and Jay Panandiker, “From the archives: Ohio State attacker featured in ‘Humans of Ohio State,’” The Lantern, November 28, 2016, http://thelantern.com/2016/11/from-the-archives-ohio-state-attacker-featured-in-humans-of-ohio-state/.

Minutes before carrying out the attack on November 28, Artan reportedly warned in a post on Facebook that Muslims would not cease conducting “lone wolf attacks” until America gave “peace to the Muslims.” In addition to referring to Anwar al-Awlaki as “hero,” Artan expressed his desire to “use a billion infidels in retribution…” and warned that he had reached a “boiling point.”Jake Trapper, Twitter post, November 28, 2016, 5:56 p.m., https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/803417243547799552;
Brian Ross, Mike Levine, Josh Margolin, and Aaron Katersky, “Officials Investigating Anti-US Facebook Rant Believed Linked to OSU Attacker,” ABC News, November 28, 2016, http://abcnews.go.com/US/osu-attack-suspect-identified-abdul-razak-ali-artan/story?id=43827435. Artan reportedly called on the United States to make peace with “dawla in al sham”—purportedly referring to ISIS—or else face continued lone wolf attacks.Jake Trapper, Twitter post, November 28, 2016, 5:56 p.m., https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/803417243547799552;
Brian Ross, Mike Levine, Josh Margolin, and Aaron Katersky, “Officials Investigating Anti-US Facebook Rant Believed Linked to OSU Attacker,” ABC News, November 28, 2016, http://abcnews.go.com/US/osu-attack-suspect-identified-abdul-razak-ali-artan/story?id=43827435;
Mitch Smith, Rukmini Callimachi, and Richard Perez-Pena, “ISIS Calls Ohio State University Attacker a ‘Soldier,’” New York Times, November 29, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/ohio-state-university-abdul-artan-islamic-state.html. ISIS sympathizers on Twitter and Telegram celebrated the attack using the hashtag #OhioAttack in Arabic, and referred to Artan as “brother.”Mitch Smith, Rukmini Callimachi, and Richard Perez-Pena, “ISIS Calls Ohio State University Attacker a ‘Soldier,’” New York Times, November 29, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/ohio-state-university-abdul-artan-islamic-state.html.

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh is a U.S. citizen and former member of the U.S. Army who pled guilty in October 2016 to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 12, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. Jalloh admittedly attempted to donate money to the terror group and carry out a domestic attack in its name.“Former Army National Guard Member Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, June 5, 2016, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-army-national-guard-member-arrested-attempting-provide-material-support-isil.

Jalloh reportedly grew radicalized while serving in the Virginia National Guard between 2009 and 2015.Rachel Weiner and Joe Heim, “Former National Guardsman accused of plotting attack to support ISIS,” Washington Post, July 5, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/former-national-guardsman-accused-of-plotting-attack-to-support-isis/2016/07/05/317eb4f0-42c1-11e6-8856-f26de2537a9d_story.html. According to an FBI affidavit, Jalloh quit the National Guard after he began listening to lectures by deceased al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Media reports referring to Awlaki as a “hate preacher” allegedly prompted Jalloh to research the Yemeni cleric and listen to his online lectures, according to the affidavit. During conversations with an FBI Confidential Human Source (CHS) in the first half of 2016, Jalloh allegedly said that Awlaki explained that it was incumbent upon every able Muslim to resist America in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jalloh also said that Awlaki’s lectures helped him to “understand” that after ISIS announced its so-called caliphate, “this was the reality.”“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 6, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download.

Following service in the National Guard, Jalloh traveled to Africa, where he stayed between July 2015 and January 2016. While in Nigeria, according to FBI investigators, Jalloh first established contact with an ISIS operative who later introduced Jalloh to the CHS.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 4, 7, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. Jalloh told the CHS in April 2016 that he wished to carry out a domestic attack similar to the Fort Hood shootings carried out by Nidal Hasan in 2009.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 7, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. Jalloh also allegedly spoke about targeting an unidentified person who had organized several “Draw Muhammad” cartoon contests.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 9, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download.

In May 2016, the CHS introduced Jalloh to an undercover FBI agent posing as an ISIS member.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 10, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. During conversations on an unidentified mobile messaging service, Jalloh allegedly told the agent that it was best to plan an attack during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. He allegedly believed such violent operations were “100 percent the right thing to do,” and he prayed to Allah to make him a martyr.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 8-9, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. Jalloh allegedly gave the agent $500, believing it would reach ISIS’s coffers.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 12, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download.

On July 1, 2016, Jalloh entered the Blue Ridge Arsenal gun store and firing range in Chantilly, Virginia. According to security footage and the store’s owner, Jalloh allegedly tried to purchase a Bushmaster AR-15, but did not have adequate identification.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 13, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download; Rachel Weiner and Joe Heim, “Former National Guardsman accused of plotting attack to support ISIS,” Washington Post, July 5, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/former-national-guardsman-accused-of-plotting-attack-to-support-isis/2016/07/05/317eb4f0-42c1-11e6-8856-f26de2537a9d_story.html. Jalloh returned the following day and purchased a Stag Arms 5.56 caliber assault rifle.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 13, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. The FBI arrested him on July 3 and charged him with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Jalloh pled guilty on October 27, 2016.“United States of America v. Mohamed Bailor Jalloh Affidavit in Support of a Criminal Complaint,” U.S. Department of Justice, July 3, 2016, 12, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/873091/download. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison on February 10, 2017. In a letter to the court, alloh reportedly renounced ISIS and its “superficial and dishonest interpretation of Islam.”“Ex-Guardsman gets 11 years for Islamic State group support,” Associated Press, February 10, 2017, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c575f77b512d49b4ac5cfa79012f1c05/ex-guardsman-be-sentenced-islamic-state-group-support.

Arcan Cetin was an American permanent resident of Turkish origin accused of murdering five people at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington, on September 23, 2016.Christopher Mele and Niraj Chokshi, “Man, 20, in Custody After Fatal Shooting of 5 People in Mall Outside Seattle,” New York Times, September 24, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/us/mall-shooting-washington-state.html?_r=0. Cetin killed all five victims within one minute at the Macy’s department store.Christopher Mele and Niraj Chokshi, “Man, 20, in Custody After Fatal Shooting of 5 People in Mall Outside Seattle,” New York Times, September 24, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/us/mall-shooting-washington-state.html?_r=0;
Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/;
Jody Allard, M. L. Lyke, and Amy B. Wang, “Washington mall suspect confesses to killings,” Washington Post, September 26, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/25/after-day-long-manhunt-police-arrest-20-year-old-in-washington-state-mall-killings/?utm_term=.e7fe9aa743ac. According to reports, Cetin had previously maintained a blog featuring photos of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei.“Mall shooting suspect had blog with picture of ISIS leader,” Fox News, September 26, 2016, http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/26/mall-shooting-suspect-had-blog-with-picture-isis-leader.html?utm_content=buffer8ace2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer.

Cetin was arrested near his apartment in Oak Harbor at 6:30 p.m. the day after the shooting, and reportedly confessed the crimes to detectives.Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/. Cetin was charged with five counts of premeditated murder.Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/. On April 16, 2017, Cetin was found dead in his prison cell at Snohomish County Jail after apparently committing suicide by hanging.Sara Jean Green, “Arcan Cetin, man accused of killing 5 in Cascade Mall shooting, dies in jail,” Seattle Times, April 17, 2017, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/accused-cascade-mall-shooter-dies-in-snohomish-county-jail/.

In 2014 and 2015, Cetin faced three charges of assault against his stepfather and was banned from owning a firearm.Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/. He was also arrested for drunk driving in 2015.Jody Allard, M. L. Lyke, and Amy B. Wang, “Washington mall suspect confesses to killings,” Washington Post, September 26, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/25/after-day-long-manhunt-police-arrest-20-year-old-in-washington-state-mall-killings/?utm_term=.e7fe9aa743ac. That year, a Washington State mental health facility sought to have Cetin involuntarily committed to its institution. Cetin was previously diagnosed or suspected of having 13 different disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/;
Jessie Stensland, “Records show Cascade Mall shooting suspect’s tormented past,” Herald (Everett, WA), October 4, 2016, http://www.heraldnet.com/news/cascade-mall-shooting-suspect-struggled-with-mental-health/. Former schoolmates described Arcan’s proclivity for inappropriately touching girls, vulgar comments, and social awkwardness.Jody Allard, M. L. Lyke, and Amy B. Wang, “Washington mall suspect confesses to killings,” Washington Post, September 26, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/09/25/after-day-long-manhunt-police-arrest-20-year-old-in-washington-state-mall-killings/?utm_term=.e7fe9aa743ac;
Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/. Cetin came to the United States from Turkey when he was six years old.Vernal Coleman and Sara Jean Green, “Man charged in Cascade Mall shooting was getting court-ordered mental health treatment,” Seattle Times, September 26, 2016, http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/suspected-cascade-mall-gunman-charged-with-5-counts-of-premeditated-murder/.

Tashfeen Malik was a Pakistani citizen and Islamic extremist who, in December 2015, conducted a terror attack on the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, alongside her husband Syed Rizwan Farook.Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12. According to U.S. officials, Farook self-radicalized online and listened to the lectures of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 8, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download;
Lee Ferran and Brian Ross, “San Bernardino: Ghost of American al-Qaeda Haunts Another US Terror Plot,” ABC News, December 18, 2015, http://abcnews.go.com/International/san-bernardino-ghost-american-al-qaeda-haunts-us/story?id=35838795. During the attack, Malik pledged allegiance—on behalf of both herself and Farook—to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi via Facebook.Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12. The attack killed 14 people and wounded 21 others.Eli Saslow and Setephanie McCrummen, “National ‘Where’s Syed?’: How the San Bernardino shooting unfolded,” Washington Post, December 3, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/wheres-syed-how-the-san-bernardino-shooting-unfolded/2015/12/03/2ee90128-9a15-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. According to family members, Malik was raised in a conservative family in Saudi Arabia, but was likely radicalized while living in Pakistan between 2007 and 2014.Mehreen Zahra-Malik, “Exclusive: Investigators piece together portrait of Pakistani woman in shooting massacre,” Reuters, December 4, 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-california-shooting-pakistan-idUSKBN0TN1YX20151204.

Malik was born in Pakistan in 1986,Pat St. Claire, Greg Botelho, and Ralph Ellis, “San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik: Who was she?” CNN, December 8, 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/12/06/us/san-bernardino-shooter-tashfeen-malik/. but moved with her family to Saudi Arabia in 1990. Malik returned to Pakistan in 2007 to study pharmacology, and graduated in 2012. Relatives in Pakistan described Malik as devout. According to her aunt, Malik had “become a religious person, and she often [told] people to live according to the teachings of Islam.”F. Brinley Bruton, “Tashfeen Malik, Mom in California Rampage, Became Very Devout: Report,” NBC News, December 6, 2015, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/tashfeen-malik-mom-california-rampage-became-very-devout-report-n475031. Pakistani media reported that Malik was affiliated with the Red Mosque in Islamabad, famously connected to the Taliban, though mosque officials deny they had any ties with Malik.F. Brinley Bruton, “Tashfeen Malik, Mom in California Rampage, Became Very Devout: Report,” NBC News, December 6, 2015, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/tashfeen-malik-mom-california-rampage-became-very-devout-report-n475031. Malik’s Facebook account had also been previously removed from Facebook for promoting or praising “acts of terror,” according to an official at the company.Mehreen Zahra-Malik, “Exclusive: Investigators piece together portrait of Pakistani woman in shooting massacre,” Reuters, December 4, 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-california-shooting-pakistan-idUSKBN0TN1YX20151204.

Between 2013 and 2014, Malik studied the Quran in Multan, Pakistan, at the al-Huda Institute, an Islamic school for women. She left before completing her program, telling administrators she was getting married.Pat St. Claire, Greg Botelho, and Ralph Ellis, “San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik: Who was she?” CNN, December 8, 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/12/06/us/san-bernardino-shooter-tashfeen-malik/. In a December 2015 interview, former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani referred to the area of southern Punjab where Malik studied as an extremist “recruitment ground” and terrorist stronghold.Mehreen Zahra-Malik, “Exclusive: Investigators piece together portrait of Pakistani woman in shooting massacre,” Reuters, December 4, 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-california-shooting-pakistan-idUSKBN0TN1YX20151204.

During her studies, Malik met Farook, a U.S. citizen of Pakistani descent, on the Internet. In October of 2013, Malik and Farook met in person in Mecca while Farook was on hajj. FBI director James Comey later said that following their meeting in Saudi Arabia, Malik and Farook discussed their “joint commitment to jihad and to martyrdom” in private online messages.Al Baker and Marc Santora, “San Bernardino Attackers Discussed Jihad in Private Messages, F.B.I. Says,” New York Times, December 16, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/us/san-bernardino-attackers-discussed-jihad-in-private-messages-fbi-says.html?_r=0. In July 2014, Malik was granted a fiancée visa and moved to the United States.Al Baker and Marc Santora, “San Bernardino Attackers Discussed Jihad in Private Messages, F.B.I. Says,” New York Times, December 16, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/us/san-bernardino-attackers-discussed-jihad-in-private-messages-fbi-says.html?_r=0. The couple wed in Riverside, California, in August 2014, and Malik gave birth to a daughter in May 2015.Jodie Tillman and Imran Ghori, “From baby gifts to building pipe bombs: The motives of shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik remain a mystery,” Orange County Register, December 4, 2015, www.ocregister.com/articles/farook-694761-couple-health.html;
Mehreen Zahra-Malik, “Exclusive: Investigators piece together portrait of Pakistani woman in shooting massacre,” Reuters, December 4, 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-california-shooting-pakistan-idUSKBN0TN1YX20151204. The FBI estimates that the couple began planning the December 2015 attack before Malik came to the United States.Richard A. Serrano and Brian Bennet, “San Bernardino shooters began plotting attack before their marriage, FBI chief says,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2015, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-san-bernardino-shooters-preplanning-20151209-story.html.

On the morning of December 2, 2015, Farook and Malik entered the Inland Regional Center (IRC) in San Bernardino, where Farook’s employer was hosting a holiday party.Elizabeth Chuck, Tracy Connor, and Mark Schone, “San Bernardino Shooting: What Is the Inland Regional Center?,” NBC News, December 2, 2015, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/san-bernardino-shooting-what-inland-regional-center-n473016. Roughly one hour into the event, Farook placed a concealed explosive device on a table and left the premises, though the device failed to detonate. Conspirator Enrique Marquez Jr. later told investigators that Farook had constructed the device using instructions published in AQAP’s English-language magazine Inspire.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 25-26, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download;
Richard A. Serrano, James Rufus Koren, Richard Winton, and Corina Knoll, “Online loan may have helped couple fund their terror arsenal in San Bernardino attack,” Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2016, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-shooting-attackers-bomb-mainbar-20151208-story.html. At 11 a.m., Farook and Malik returned to the IRC, dressed in tactical vests and black masks. In less than four minutes, the pair fired 65-75 rounds of bullets, killing 14 people and injuring 21 others.Eli Saslow and Setephanie McCrummen, “National ‘Where’s Syed?’: How the San Bernardino shooting unfolded,” Washington Post, December 3, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/wheres-syed-how-the-san-bernardino-shooting-unfolded/2015/12/03/2ee90128-9a15-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. During the shooting spree, Malik pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—on behalf of both herself and Farook—via Facebook.Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12. Farook and Malik fled the scene of the shooting in an SUV, and were apprehended by police near their apartment in the nearby city of Redlands. The pair opened fire on police from their vehicle, and were killed in the ensuing shootout.Greg Botelho, “San Bernardino shooting: Carnage was ‘unspeakable,’ police say,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/san-bernardino-shooting/index.html.

Syed Rizwan Farook was a U.S.-born domestic terrorist and a suspected ISIS sympathizer. On December 2, 2015, Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik carried out a shooting spree at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people.Eli Saslow and Setephanie McCrummen, “National ‘Where’s Syed?’: How the San Bernardino shooting unfolded,” Washington Post, December 3, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/wheres-syed-how-the-san-bernardino-shooting-unfolded/2015/12/03/2ee90128-9a15-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. During the attack, Malik pledged allegiance—on behalf of both herself and Farook—to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi via Facebook. The couple died in a shootout with law enforcement in the hours following the attack.Saeed Ahmed, “Who were Syed Rizwan Farookand Tashfeen Malik?,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/syed-farook-tashfeen-malik-mass-shooting-profile/;
Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12.

According to U.S. officials, Farook self-radicalized online and listened to the lectures of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. In August 2011, Farook informed his neighbor and friend Enrique Marquez of his interest in joining AQAP in Yemen, according to the FBI.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 8, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download;
Lee Ferran and Brian Ross, “San Bernardino: Ghost of American al-Qaeda Haunts Another US Terror Plot,” ABC News, December 18, 2015, http://abcnews.go.com/International/san-bernardino-ghost-american-al-qaeda-haunts-us/story?id=35838795. Farook may have also had some degree of online contact with members of the Somali al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, as well as al-Qaeda’s former affiliate the Nusra Front, according to an unnamed federal investigator.“Everything we know about the San Bernardino terror attack investigation so far,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-bernardino-shooting-terror-investigation-htmlstory.html;
Chris Pleasance, Ashley Collman, and Snejana Farberov, “REVEALED: San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook ‘had contact with Syrian al Qaeda-affiliated group AND al Shabaab in Somalia’,” Daily Mail (London), December 4, 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3346500/Pictured-handcuffed-body-San-Bernardino-terrorist-Pakistani-wife-pledged-allegiance-ISIS-Facebook-slaughter-14.html.

Farook was raised in California by Pakistani parents.Kate Shepherd, “San Bernardino Shooter Was Born In Chicago,” Chicagoist, December 3, 2015, http://chicagoist.com/2015/12/03/_the_san_bernardino_shooter.php. He adhered to traditional dress, and reportedly attended religious services twice daily at the Islamic Center of Riverside in Riverside, California.Adam Nagourney, Ian Lovett, Julie Turkewitz, and Benjamin Mueller, “Couple Kept Tight Lid on Plans for San Bernardino Shooting,” New York Times, December 3, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/12/04/us/san-bernardino-shooting-syed-rizwan-farook.html?_r=0. In 2010, Farook began working for the San Bernardino County Health Department.Saeed Ahmed, “Who were Syed Rizwan Farookand Tashfeen Malik?,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/syed-farook-tashfeen-malik-mass-shooting-profile/.

In 2013, Farook met Malik, a Pakistani national, online. That same year, Farook met Malik in person in Saudi Arabia while on hajj.Greg Botelho, “San Bernardino shooting: Carnage was ‘unspeakable,’ police say,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/san-bernardino-shooting/index.html. Later in 2013, according to then-FBI director James Comey, Farook and Malik discussed their “joint commitment to jihad and to martyrdom” in private online messages. Malik was granted a U.S. fiancée visa in July 2014, and the two married one month later in California.Al Baker and Marc Santora, “San Bernardino Attackers Discussed Jihad in Private Messages, F.B.I. Says,” New York Times, December 16, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/us/san-bernardino-attackers-discussed-jihad-in-private-messages-fbi-says.html?_r=0.

Farook’s intention to carry out a domestic terror attack dates back to at least 2011, when he began plotting attacks alongside friend and neighbor Marquez. Farook discussed radical Islam with Marquez, and shared with him the teachings of AQAP cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 4, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download. According to the FBI, the pair planned, trained, and purchased equipment—including firearms—and plotted to target Riverside Community College and the highway State Route 91.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 3, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download. Farook and Marquez reportedly halted their plots in November 2012 after three men unaffiliated with Farook were arrested in Chino, California, on terror-related charges.Sarah Parvini, Kate Mather, James Queally, and Richard A. Serrano, “San Bernardino shooter used friend to dodge gun check, may have planned larger attack, sources say,” Los Angeles Times, December 10, 2015, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-enrique-marquez-main-mother-speaks-20151210-story.html.

Farook soon renewed his efforts to conduct an attack. According to the FBI, Farook and Malik began plotting the December 2015 attack before Malik moved to the United States in mid-2014.Richard A. Serrano and Brian Bennet, “San Bernardino shooters began plotting attack before their marriage, FBI chief says,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2015, www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-san-bernardino-shooters-preplanning-20151209-story.html.

On the morning of December 2, 2015, Farook and his wife entered the Inland Regional Center (IRC) in San Bernardino, where Farook’s employer was hosting a holiday party.Elizabeth Chuck, Tracy Connor, and Mark Schone, “San Bernardino Shooting: What Is the Inland Regional Center?,” NBC News, December 2, 2015, www.nbcnews.com/storyline/san-bernardino-shooting/san-bernardino-shooting-what-inland-regional-center-n473016. Roughly one hour into the event, Farook placed a concealed explosive device on a table and left the premises, though the device failed to detonate. Marquez later told investigators that Farook had constructed the device using instructions published in AQAP’s English-language magazine Inspire.“U.S. District Court for the Central District of California: U.S. v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” Department of Justice, December 17, 2015, 25-26, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download;
Richard A. Serrano, James Rufus Koren, Richard Winton, and Corina Knoll, “Online loan may have helped couple fund their terror arsenal in San Bernardino attack,” Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2016, www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-shooting-attackers-bomb-mainbar-20151208-story.html.

At 11 a.m., Farook and Malik returned to the IRC, dressed in tactical vests and black masks. In less than four minutes, the pair fired 65-75 rounds of bullets, killing 14 people and injuring 21 others.Eli Saslow and Setephanie McCrummen, “National ‘Where’s Syed?’: How the San Bernardino shooting unfolded,” Washington Post, December 3, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/wheres-syed-how-the-san-bernardino-shooting-unfolded/2015/12/03/2ee90128-9a15-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html. During the shooting spree, Malik pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—on behalf of both herself and Farook—via Facebook.Pamela Engel, “Here’s the ISIS message the female San Bernardino shooter posted on Facebook during the attack,” Business Insider, December 17, 2015, www.businessinsider.com/isis-message-tashfeen-malik-posted-on-facebook-during-attack-2015-12. Farook and Malik fled the scene of the shooting in an SUV, and were apprehended by police near their apartment in the nearby city of Redlands. The pair opened fire on police from their vehicle and were killed in the ensuing shootout.Greg Botelho, “San Bernardino shooting: Carnage was ‘unspeakable,’ police say,” CNN, December 4, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/san-bernardino-shooting/index.html.

According to the FBI, two of the five firearms used by Farook and Malik in the San Bernardino attack were purchased by Enrique Marquez on separate occasions in late 2011 and early 2012.“Criminal Complaint: United States of America v. Enrique Marquez, Jr.,” United States District Court for the Central District of California, December 17, 2015, 3, https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/800606/download. The day after the attack, Marquez told a 911 operator that he had given the guns to Farook for “safe storage.”Richard Winton, Richard A. Serrano, Joseph Serna, and Marisa Gerber, “After San Bernardino massacre, suspect Enrique Marquez Jr. made dramatic 911 call,” Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-911-san-bernardino-massacre-20151218-story.html. The other firearms were legally purchased by Farook between 2007 and 2012.“Everything we know about the San Bernardino terror attack investigation so far,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-bernardino-shooting-terror-investigation-htmlstory.html. Police also found over 4,500 rounds of ammunition and additional bomb making materials at the couple’s home.“Everything we know about the San Bernardino terror attack investigation so far,” Los Angeles Times, December 14, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-san-bernardino-shooting-terror-investigation-htmlstory.html.

Following the attack, FBI investigators sought to gather evidence from Farook’s locked iPhone.Cecilia Kang and Eric Lichtblau, “F.B.I. Error Locked San Bernardino Attacker’s iPhone,” New York Times, March 1, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/02/technology/apple-and-fbi-face-off-before-house-judiciary-committee.html. In April 2016, FBI Director James Comey said that after paying to have the device unlocked, the FBI had found no evidence linking Farook and Malik to ISIS militants.Devlin Barrett, “FBI Paid More Than $1 Million to Hack San Bernardino iPhone,” New York Times, April 21, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/comey-fbi-paid-more-than-1-million-to-hack-san-bernardino-iphone-1461266641.

Richard Reid—known colloquially as the “shoe bomber”—is a British national who attempted to destroy a civilian airliner with a shoe-bomb in December 2001.Pam Belluck, “Threats and Responses: The Bomb Plot; Unrepentant Shoe Bomber Is Given a Life Sentence For Trying to Blow Up Jet,” New York Times, January 31, 2003, http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/31/us/threats-responses-bomb-plot-unrepentant-shoe-bomber-given-life-sentence-for.html;
“The Case of the Explosive Shoes,” FBI, July 18, 2015, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2005/july/shoe_bomb071805. According to prosecutors, Reid had previously trained alongside al-Qaeda in Afghanistan from 1998 to 1999.“Richard Reid Fast Facts,” CNN, December 25, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/25/us/richard-reid-fast-facts/; Michael Elliot, “The Shoe Bomber’s World,” Time, February 16, 2002, http://content.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,203478,00.html. In October 2002, Reid pled guilty to eight counts, including attempted murder.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html. He is serving a life sentence in prison in Florence, Colorado.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html.

On December 22, 2001, Reid attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his sneakers on board American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris to Miami, carrying 197 people. He was restrained by passengers and crew on the flight after trying to set light to a fuse connected to explosives in his shoes. Tests on the explosives later showed that the fuse was too damp to ignite.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html. A doctor on board sedated Reid with a tranquilizer, and the flight was diverted to Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Reid was immediately arrested.Lee Moran, “Shoe bomber in Supermax: Richard Reid pictured for first time inside high security prison,” Daily Mail (London), October 10, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047093/Shoe-bomber-Richard-Reid-pictured-inside-US-Supermax-jail.html.

Reid was born in 1973 in the London suburb of Bromley. After falling into a life of crime in the mid-1990s, Reid was jailed in numerous prisons. One of them was Feltham Young Offenders Institution in west London, where Reid is believed to have converted to Islam. After his release, Reid became a member at the Brixton Mosque in south London, where the extremist preacher Abdullah Faisal delivered sermons. While attending the Brixton Mosque, Reid studied Arabic and assumed the name “Abdel Rahim.”“Who is Richard Reid?,” BBC News, December 28, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1731568.stm;
Peter Herbert, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing,’” Guardian (London), August 23, 2006, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/24/alqaida.terrorism. Reid is also reported to have met Zacarias Moussaoui, who had been a member of the Brixton Mosque and was later charged with conspiracy in the September 11 attacks.“Who is Richard Reid?,” BBC News, December 28, 2001, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/1731568.stm. In 1998 he left the Brixton Mosque for the Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, where he attended sermons led by extremist cleric Abu Hamza.Peter Herbert, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing,’” Guardian (London), August 23, 2006, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/24/alqaida.terrorism.

Between 1998 and 1999, Reid received training from al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, according to prosecutors.Michael Elliot, “The Shoe Bomber’s World,” Time, February 16, 2002, http://content.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,203478,00.html;
Peter Herbert, ‘I knew exactly what I was doing,’” Guardian (London), August 23, 2006, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/aug/24/alqaida.terrorism. According to British authorities, Reid trained at the Khalden camp near the Pakistani border. Reid was also influenced by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, according to media reports.“New York on alert over possible revenge attacks after Bin Laden hunters wipe out Al Qaeda boss who preached hate in America,” Daily Mail (London), October 1, 2011, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2043772/Anwar-al-Awlaki-NYC-alert-possible-revenge-attacks-Al-Qaeda-boss-killed.html#ixzz4L5vHk5AL.

In 2015, Reid claimed from prison that his plot had failed because it was God’s will. “I believe that it wasn’t supposed to happen, not because it was displeasing to God … rather because it was not either my time to die nor that of those on the plane with me, and he had other plans for me.”Tracy Connor, “Shoe-Bomber Has ‘Tactical Regrets’ Over Failed American Airlines Plot,” NBC News, February 3, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shoe-bomber-has-tactical-regrets-over-failed-american-airlines-plot-n296396. In February 2015, Reid commented on the January 2015 attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, saying that he did not see the attack as a “tragedy,” concluding that, “if you play with fire you might get burned, so I have no tears for those who insult Islam.”Tracy Connor, “Shoe-Bomber Has ‘Tactical Regrets’ Over Failed American Airlines Plot,” NBC News, February 3, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shoe-bomber-has-tactical-regrets-over-failed-american-airlines-plot-n296396.