Federal agents arrested an armed teenager they say was plotting to assassinate a sitting Republican congressman, according to a new report.
The FBI charged a 17-year-old boy from McKinney, Texas, with plotting to kill Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) at an event last Saturday, the Dallas-area station WFAA reported Wednesday, citing federal investigators.
Investigators also believe the teen intended to carry out a broader terrorist attack in North Texas on behalf of ISIS, according to the report.
Federal law enforcement sources told the station the suspect was taken into custody Oct. 5 after he acquired a firearm. Those sources said he had been radicalized recently and was already being watched by federal agents.
The teen remains in federal custody, and his name has not been made public.
Self responded with a statement casting the plot as part of a larger fight. “Protecting our Constitutional Republic from radical Islam is getting messy,” he told WFAA. “I served in the military for 25 years with the mindset that defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. Our elected leaders should govern with that same mindset.”
The congressman said he has confidence in his security team. Members of Congress receive a stipend they can put toward personal protection.
Self has made opposition to Islamic extremism a centerpiece of his tenure, WFAA noted. Last month he introduced a nonbinding resolution condemning Sharia law and opposing its implementation in the U.S., and last December he teamed up with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) to launch the “Sharia-Free America Caucus.”
His district has also become a flashpoint in a fight over a new mosque. The McKinney City Council approved the McKinney Islamic Association’s plans in August over objections from some residents, finding the project complied with local law.
Asked whether his positions on radical Islam made him a target, Self admitted he couldn’t be certain.
“If it’s ISIS related, you kind of have to believe that. I can’t prove that. I don’t know that for sure,” he said. “But you have to follow the [old saying] if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”
Self is running for a third term.
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