ISIS-linked female suspect arrested in plot to blow up New York State Capitol - report
According to the NYT, the suspect is a US citizen, lives in the Albany area, and has either shown ties to or pledged allegiance to ISIS.
A female suspect, reportedly 35-year-old Jessica Bowie, was arrested on Wednesday after allegedly plotting to detonate a bomb at the New York State Capitol building in Albany, according to The New York Times. The arrest comes as prosecutors in New York's Northern District are expected to formally charge Bowie later that day, according to the article. Law enforcement officials are also set to provide further details about the case during a press conference on Thursday.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York, Bowie allegedly sought assistance in learning to construct explosives from an individual who responded with information on how to do so. The complaint states that Bowie, who converted to Islam five years ago, posted content on social media sites that supported terrorism.
The complaint cited by NBC also alleges that Bowie communicated with an FBI agent posing as an ISIS facilitator, discussing her intention to carry out the attack on the New York State Capitol building.
Bowie reportedly expressed her desire to "harm the enemies of God" and harm as many people as possible during the attack, including senators and even the US President, Donald Trump. However, she reportedly decided against bombing the White House due to its greater difficulty. NBC reports that Bowie sought to escape after the attack and planned to strike additional targets in the future if authorities failed to apprehend her.
The FBI reportedly offered Bowie $200, which she spent on bomb-making materials at a Home Depot on August 5. She subsequently gave the items to FBI agents during an in-person meeting and even inquired about obtaining a firearm to potentially fight back against law enforcement. The suspect reportedly expressed remorse for killing Muslims, children, and pregnant women, hoping Allah would forgive her for her actions.
Bowie, a US citizen residing in the Albany area, is still awaiting a lawyer's appointment. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, where she faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
