A man who planned a mass shooting of Jews and Zionists in the US in an Islamic State-inspired attack has been jailed after admitting his support for the terror group, but vowed to carry out the planned atrocities when he gets out of prison.
Michael Sam Teekaye Jr, 22, from Maryland, was handed the maximum sentence of 20 years last Friday after telling an undercover federal agent about his terror plots.
Teekaye’s “plan A” was to travel to Somalia to join the rapidly growing Somalia Province faction of the group, having told the agent that he planned to be a “mujahid [fighter]”. He had plotted his route – Maryland to London, then to Turkey and Ethiopia before crossing over into Somalia – and had told the agent that he had booked his tickets.
However, he added that killing Jewish people in the US was his “plan B”.
He had also researched buildings close to his home linked to pro-Israel groups that support Israel, and was calculating how to “gun down key members or anyone involved”.
Announcing the guilty plea, Kelly O. Hayes, US Attorney for the District of Maryland said: “He took real-world steps to carry out a terrorist attack in Maryland, including attempting to purchase an assault rifle and researching locations where he could kill Jews and supporters of Israel.”
Teekaye had purchased ammunition and booked time at a shooting range in Maryland, as part of what he called his “training”.
In July 2024, he attempted to purchase a Kalashnikov K-9 9mm assault rifle but was denied due to his probation for a previous offence.
He also sent a photograph of himself to the undercover agent wearing a black mask and brandishing a large machete, adding that he wanted to join Isis to achieve “victory” and that “you either do it here or there or both”.
When Teekaye was arrested, he kicked and spat on the officers and, according to police reports, said: “I’m just [going to] get out in 20 years and I’m just [going to] do it here... It will never stop. Jihad will never stop...
“You think 20 years is something? I’ll be like 40 when I get out, then I’ll just do it. I don’t care. It will never stop. Jihad will never stop.”
“I’ll come and I’ll kill your soldiers. I’ll kill you.”
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