A Boston policeman’s son was recently charged in an extremist bomb plot after an FBI investigation showed that he was on the verge of placing an explosive material in a university. It was an attack inspired by the Islamic movement that Alexander Ciccolo, aged 23, was a supporter of.
He was basically planning to use pressure cooker bombs in a university cafeteria, at lunchtime, to kill as many students as possible and make a clip that he could later show online.
His father, Robert Ciccolo, who is a Boston police captain, was the one who revealed his plans to the FBI. This prompted the federal agents to monitor the young man and later on arrest him.
According to officials, Alexander Ciccolo got his inspiration from the Boston Marathon Bombing in April 2013, that killed 3 people and injured more than 250.
Robert Ciccolo told the authorities that his son had told him in 2014 that he wanted to travel to either Iraq or Syria to fight for the Islamic State that he supported and believed in. He also said that Alexander Ciccolo was mentally ill.
Court records also revealed that the young man is obsessed with the Islamic State. Moreover, he had a Facebook page where he posted various messages related to his support for Islam and interest in martyrdom under the name of Ali Al Amriki.
In order to catch him, the FBI had an undercover witness meet with him. At first, he told the witness about murdering civilians and police officers, but later on, spoke to him about his plans to blow up the university cafeteria and said that he needed bombs and firearms. He did not have permission to be in possession of a firearm because he had been convicted for drunken driving in the past.
The FBI witness gave him four firearms, which led to his arrest on July 4th.
“While we were saddened and disappointed to learn or our son’s intentions, we are grateful that authorities were able to prevent any loss of life or harm to others,” said his father, who has been a Boston police officer for 27 years.
Alexander Ciccolo was charged with iilegal possession of a firearm.
Image Source: smh
Share this:
