WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – FBI raids in Dearborn and Inkster have left neighborhoods shaken after several arrests connected to a suspected terrorist plot.
Neighbors expressed shock, saying no one expected something that serious so close to home.
The FBI raids occurred early Friday (Oct. 31) morning, surprising local police who said they had no prior knowledge.
It was reported that the FBI’s investigation stemmed from an online chatroom.
Federal agents were seen carrying electronics, boxes of evidence, and searching cars at two Dearborn locations and a storage unit in Inkster.
Local 4 reported that the searches lasted around eight hours, with many questions still unanswered about motives and potential targets.
Laraib Irfan, who lives near one of the raid sites, said, “We just seen a couple of our neighbors coming outside of the house, very cooperative with the FBI, so this is all very fresh and new to us, and we’re just hoping for the best for them as well.”
Inkster Mayor Byron Nolen said the raids in Dearborn led the FBI to search a U-Haul storage facility in Inkster.
“It’s our understanding that there was some raids taking place in Dearborn, some residential homes, and whatever that was discovered there led them to a storage facility here in the city of Inkster and that was also searched,” said Nolen.
Federal authorities said the investigation involves a potential terrorist plot discussed in an online chatroom, where suspects allegedly referred to Halloween as “Pumpkin Day.”
An attorney representing one of the suspects pushed back against claims of a planned mass casualty event, telling Local 4, “We have no credible information to support the notion that a mass casualty event was planned or was going to be carried out.”
Former U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said these types of threats are surprisingly common.
“We’ve seen cases like this that never make it in public, that law enforcement solves this problem, maybe they make some arrests on other unrelated charges, get the people out of the country, and we never even find out that it is a terrorism case,” said Schneider.
Schneider added that discussing plans to carry out an attack could lead to serious charges.
“I also think that we would also be looking at probably a conspiracy or an attempt charge, and oftentimes that’s really what we see in these kinds of cases, it’s not the actual activity, it’s the conspiracy to do so, the attempt to do so, and the plot that gets you into trouble,” Schneider said.
Police in Dearborn and Inkster assured the public there is no ongoing threat to the community as authorities work to identify those arrested and the charges they may face.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel thanked the FBI for their work and promised to release more information to the public when available.