The FBI has arrested and charged a 17-year-old from McKinney, Texas, for allegedly planning to assassinate U.S. Representative Keith Self and carry out an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in North Texas.
The juvenile was taken into custody on October 5 after acquiring a firearm, according to federal sources. He remains in federal custody; his name has not been released, according to WFAA.
Federal investigators said the recently radicalized teen, who was already under monitoring, planned to target Self at an event last Saturday and conduct a broader attack in the region on behalf of ISIS.
Self, a House Freedom Caucus member and co-founder of the Sharia-Free America Caucus, has been one of Congress’s most vocal opponents of political Islam and Sharia law.
In a statement to WFAA, Self said:
“Protecting our Constitutional Republic from radical Islam is getting messy. 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.” When asked whether his positions on radical Islam may have made him a target, he replied that “if it’s ISIS related, you kind of have to believe that… if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”
Self later posted on X that he is grateful to the FBI for stopping the threat, that he and his family are safe, and that the incident only strengthens his resolve:
“I am grateful to the FBI and law enforcement for stopping this threat. My family and I are safe, and I remain focused on serving the people of Texas’ 3rd District.
Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it—name-calling, threats, and worse.
Our Founders believed this country was worth the sacrifice. I served 25 years in the military because defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down.”
