Federal court documents reveal the suspects in a Michigan Halloween terror plot had previously discussed attacking the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade — raising new concerns about how long the group had been scouting targets.
According to an amended federal complaint, members of the “Islamic State of America” posted in an ISIS-supporter chatroom on the dark web and talked about carrying out a bombing at the Chicago Pride Parade. One message read, “we will be attacking the Chicago pride parade with a backpack,” and another mentioned a plan to launch “small attacks” to gain attention.
The FBI says this online chatter came just three weeks before the parade in June 2024.
Investigators now believe the suspects were surveying LGBTQ+ events and locations well before their Michigan plot. The same group is accused of planning attacks on gay-friendly bars and clubs in Michigan and Ohio during Halloween weekend this year.
Recent raids in metro Detroit uncovered assault-style rifles, tactical vests, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition. Video evidence allegedly shows members of the group training with firearms at local ranges.
A former Chicago Police chief of detectives told media outlets the Pride Parade threat “should have been taken seriously in the moment,” noting that any explosive attack in such a dense crowd would likely cause mass casualties — from both the blast and the panic that would follow.
Chicago’s police department said it remains in daily communication with federal and state partners through the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and that all threats are evaluated and acted upon.
Pride Chicago officials said they were never informed of the 2024 threat until now but stressed the continued importance of visibility and resilience.
All three Michigan suspects were indicted and will remain in federal custody. Their attorneys maintain the men were only “talking tough” online and had no real intent to carry out violence.
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