Prosecutors, however, contended that they represented what is seen as a growing threat of attacks on U.S. targets by homegrown “lone wolves” inspired by Islamic State or other militant groups. Salter said Young was enrolled until May as a sophomore chemistry major but had not enrolled for classes since.
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“They don’t need a gun to do harm”, Joyner said.
Harmon said the family is cooperating with investigators and that they trust the FBI to ferret out the facts of the case.
Dennis Harmon, a local attorney representing Dakhlallah’s family and who has known them since Muhammad Dakhlallah was a child, told ABC News Dakhlallah’s parents are “pretty shook up” over their son’s arrest.
Now these two are facing criminal charges after being arrested in Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Mississippi, this past weekend with accusations of conspiring and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS.
An Federal Bureau of Investigation agent’s affidavit said both confessed their plans after their arrest. Mississippi State University spokesman Sid Salter said records show Dakhlalla graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
But court documents indicate undercover Federal Bureau of Investigation agents interacted with Young online, starting in May, about her desire to travel to Syria to join ISIS. They said she even cheered after the shooting in Chattanooga where five service members were killed. They said Young went into detail about wanting to be a medic for ISIS. “My partner is very good with like computer science/media”.
Young later told the Federal Bureau of Investigation that she and Dakhlalla had gotten married June 6 and they planned to claim they were traveling on their honeymoon as a cover story. “I am willing to fight”, he is quoted as saying.
The Anti-Defamation League says 19-year-old Jaelyn Young and 22-year-old Muhammad Dakhlalla are the 59th and 60th U.S. residents linked to Islamic extremist activity this year.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Dakhlalla and Young both expressed impatience over getting passports and the charges say Dakhlalla paid $340 to expedite passport processing on July 1.
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On Tuesday, a federal magistrate judge ordered the pair held without bail, pending a grand jury action on the charges against them, according to ABC News affiliate WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi.
