19-year-old man charged for plotting attacks on LGBTQ+ venues in Detroit
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US authorities have charged a 19-year-old man accused of plotting attacks on LGBTQ+ venues in Detroit, in what prosecutors say was an ISIS-inspired terror scheme echoing the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre.
The suspect, named in court filings as Milo Sedarat, was arrested at his father’s home in Montclair, New Jersey, during a joint FBI and NYPD Intelligence Bureau operation. Sedarat is the son of Roger Sedarat, an award-winning Iranian-American poet and professor at Queens College in New York. The poet is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Investigators allege that Milo Sedarat, along with another Montclair resident, Tomas Kaan Guzel, 19, conspired to carry out a mass shooting at multiple gay bars in Detroit on Halloween night. Guzel was detained at Newark Liberty International Airport, where authorities say he was preparing to fly to Turkey en route to Syria for ISIS training.
Court documents claim extremist propaganda was found on Guzel’s phone, including a statement referencing a “Boston bombing-like attack”. Both men are expected to appear in federal court in New Jersey.
The arrests form part of a wider investigation into a terror cell uncovered in Michigan last week. Prosecutors allege the group sought to replicate the 2015 ISIS attacks in Paris and the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, which killed 49 people and injured 53 others. Five other suspects, including a juvenile, have already been charged in connection with the plot.
Authorities say raids in the Detroit area recovered rifles, shotguns, pistols, more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, tactical gear, and GoPro cameras. The alleged ringleader, Mohmed Ali, 20, is accused of planning the Halloween attack alongside a minor, while other members intended to travel to Syria to join ISIS.
Neighbours in Montclair described the arrests as shocking, with nearly two dozen law enforcement vehicles reportedly surrounding the Sedarat home. Officers were seen in camouflage and carrying assault rifles, according to witnesses.
Federal officials have characterised the plot as a “violent attack” aimed at LGBTQ+-friendly venues. Both Sedarat and Guzel remain in custody as the investigation continues.
