Ford County Sheriff / Via justice.gov
Three men arrested in Illinois on gun charges are now suspects in the bombing of a mosque in suburban Minneapolis, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
The men are suspected throwing an explosive into the imam's office at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington in the early morning hours of Aug. 5, 2017. The blast caused damage to the room and filled the building with smoke, but did not result in any injuries to congregants preparing for morning prayers in an adjacent room.
Talal Ansari / Via BuzzFeed News
The bombing sent shock waves through the Muslim American community, who have seen an increase in hate crimes in the last couple of years, according to data from the FBI. A report released in June 2017 by the Council on American-Islamic Relations showed a 91% increase in anti-Muslim incidents in the first six months of 2017 compared to the previous year.
According to the US attorney’s office in Springfield, Michael B. Hari, Joe Morris, and Michael McWhorter are suspected of the Bloomington attack, as well as attempting to bomb the Women’s Health Practice abortion clinic in Champaign, Illinois, in November.
The arrested along with a fourth man on suspicion of illegally possessing a machine gun.
Ford County Sheriff / Via justice.gov
According to a federal affidavit, a confidential source and an anonymous tip were instrumental in compiling evidence against the group of three. In fact, a transcript of the tip submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), shows the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was part of the reason the tipster reached out.
"i also sent something about it to the newspaper so if you just blow it of like you did that school schooter [sic] kid in florida the press will know you got a tip so you better check it out..." a readout of the tip states.
The same day the tip was received, the Ford County Sheriff's Department, the University of Illinois Police Department, and the FBI responded to the home addresses provided by the tipster. There they found a pipe bomb attached to a propane tank, according to the affidavit.
Authorities say they also found four assault riles, three of which turned out to be fully automatic.
Ford County Sheriff
McWhorter allegedly admitted his involvement in bombing of the mosque and the attempted on the women's clinic, and told investigators that each of the three men had specific roles in the attack.
"Hari was the diver, Morris was responsible for smashing the window in, and McWhorter was responsible for throwing the bomb in the window," the affidavit states.
Authorities told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the investigation into the bombing remains ongoing, and that the "motivations behind the attack" are still being investigated.
LINK: Hundreds Gather In Solidarity With Muslim Americans After Minnesota Mosque Bombing
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/2ImylVk
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