A 16-year-old Lombard boy has been charged with attempting to carry out a terrorist attack targeting an Islamic center in Glendale Heights, prosecutors in DuPage county said.
The boy, who appeared in court Thursday, faces one felony count of attempted terrorism and one felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office. A judge ordered the teen held in custody until his next court hearing, which is set for Aug. 4.
According to a petition filed in DuPage County court, the teen allegedly entered the Islamic Education Center, 1269 Goodrich Ave., on July 4 and secretly recorded religious services “to assist in preparation for detonating an explosive device at that location.”
The boy, who’s not named because he’s a juvenile, also had a handgun July 12, according to the state’s attorney’s office. He was taken into custody Thursday after an investigation.
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said the alleged plot was a serious threat.
“An attempted act of terrorism, as alleged in this case, achieves the same goals of spreading fear, dividing our communities and undermining the rule of law, as does an act of terrorism,” Berlin said. “The allegations against this juvenile are extremely serious and will not be tolerated in DuPage County.”
Federal and local law enforcement coordinated to disrupt the alleged plot before any violence occurred, according to the state’s attorney’s office.
Officials did not share further details about the juvenile’s alleged motives or how law enforcement discovered the plot.
The Chicago Sun-Times has reached out to the Islamic Education Center for comment.