Texas teen arrested for alleged plot to kill GOP congressman

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 13:32 · Archive

A 17-year-old from Texas was arrested on 5 October for allegedly planning to assassinate Republican Rep. Keith Self and carry out a separate attack for ISIS.

Federal authorities arrested a 17-year-old from McKinney, Texas on 5 October for allegedly plotting to assassinate Rep. Keith Self and carrying out a separate attack on behalf of ISIS. The teenager, who has not been publicly identified, allegedly acquired a firearm and planned to target Self at a public cook-out event, according to a local report.

Self, a Republican who co-founded the Sharia-Free America Caucus and introduced a bill in July to protect the Constitution from Sharia Law, said he was grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for stopping the threat. 'My family and I are safe, and I remain focused on serving the people of Texas' 3rd District,' he said in a statement. Self noted that the FBI had been monitoring the teenager for a while before the arrest.

Self told CBS News Texas that he did not initially know about the threat until federal authorities informed him they had arrested someone. He acknowledged that threats against members of Congress are more routine than the public might think, but stressed that this case differed from previous threats he had received, as law enforcement chose to take action. When asked whether his public positions on Islamic extremism explained why he was targeted, Self said he could not be certain.

How it is being reported

• Texas teen, 17, inspired by ISIS to plot assassination of GOP rep pushing for Sharia-free AmericaA 17-year-old boy has been arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate a Republican congressman on behalf of ISIS, according to a report.New York Post · 22 Oct, 13:21
• Rep. Keith Self targeted in alleged assassination plot by Texas teen: reportThe 17-year-old suspect allegedly acquired a firearm and planned to target Rep. Keith Self at an event while plotting a separate ISIS attack.Fox News · 22 Oct, 12:32

In this story: Keith Self · FBI · ISIS · Texas · McKinney

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem