Michigan terror suspects plotted Paris-style attack on bars, nightclubs, feds say as photos show them taking target practice

The two Michigan men charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack had been scouting LGBTQ-friendly bars in a Detroit suburb and talked of copying the 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people, according to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court Monday.

The document names Mohmed Ali, of Dearborn, and Majed Mahmoud as conspiring to unleash a mass shooting attack on Halloween night — a fiendish plot the suspects codenamed “pumpkin,” according to prosecutors.

Investigators tracked the men via their phone movements, which saw them travel to an area of Ferndale known for its bars and restaurants, many of which “intentionally attract members of the LGBTQ+ community,” the complaint reads.

But before Ali and Mahmoud could execute their alleged terror scheme, authorities raided the men’s homes and a nearby storage unit, where they recovered three AR-15-style rifles, two shotguns, four pistols and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition — as well as GoPro cameras, tactical vests and additional gear.

Throughout September and October, Ali, Mahmoud, and two unnamed co-conspirators were captured on camera practicing shooting firearms at a gun range.

“The FBI stopped a massacre before it could happen,” FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X after the criminal complaint was unsealed Monday.

“Two Michigan men planned an ISIS-inspired Halloween terror attack near Detroit- stockpiling weapons, scouting targets, and training at gun ranges. This FBI acted fast, followed the evidence, and likely saved countless lives.”

Though both men were under the age of 21, they were able to legally purchase pricey firearms — including a 12-gauge Beretta A300 Ultima Competition shotgun, a Daniel Defense M4 V7 rifle, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and multiple 5.56 rifles, according to the complaint.