US authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of four suspects on charges of plotting a bomb attack on a small Muslim town northern New York.
Investigators also seized homemade bombs and about 20 rifles.
The alleged plot was uncovered after a student at Odyssey Academy, a school in New York, showed a classmate a picture of another student and said, “He looks like the next school shooter, doesn’t he?” Greece Police Chief Patrick Phelan told reporters at a news conference.
The remark was reported to school security, which along with local police interviewed both the student who had the photograph and the student in the picture.
The investigation eventually led police to foil a serious plot to attack Islamberg complex in Delaware County, execute several search warrants, and arrest four people, including the student who showed off the photograph.
Charged with weapons possession and conspiracy were 20-year-old Brian Colaneri, 18-year-old Andrew Crysel and 19-year-old Vincent Vetromile. A 16-year-old student at Odyssey Academy in Greece was charged as an adolescent offender. His name was not revealed because of his age.
All four suspects remained in custody as of Wednesday morning. The juvenile suspect is being held on a one million dollar bail and is scheduled to return to court next week. The three adults, who are being held on $50,000 cash bails or $100,000 bonds, are scheduled to appear in court next month.
Phelan said the four suspects had been planning their attack for about a month, and officials only discovered the planned attack through their investigation at the school.
As part of the investigation, the police recovered 23 legally owned shotguns and rifles from multiple locations, Phelan said.
He added that law enforcement officials also found three improvised explosive devices and homemade bombs.
The Police Chief said that officials were not yet sure why the four suspects had chosen to target Islamberg, but he affirmed that officials were continuing to examine their e-devices to determine a motive.
Notably, Islamberg covers at least 60 acres of rolling tree-covered hills, lakes and fields. The initial settlers were predominantly African-American Muslims who left New York City about three decades ago to live there.
It has also previously faced threats of violence. In 2015, a man from Tennessee, Robert Doggart, was arrested and charged with plotting an attack on the community. Prosecutors said that he planned to recruit a militia to shoot Islamberg residents and blow up the mosque there. He was convicted and sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison in 2017.
