Idaho Teen Arrested Day Before Alleged Planned Attack on Church in Name of ISIS

Per the federal complaint, Alexander Scott Mercurio allegedly told informants that he had not fasted during Ramadan but planned for the attack to occur during the holiday

• Alexander Scott Mercurio allegedly described himself in texts to confidential informants as having “a craving for mayhem and murder to terrorize those around me”

• The 18-year-old, who allegedly said he was raised in a “very Christian and conservative” household, said he had turned to ISIS teachings, per the federal criminal complaint

• Mercurio allegedly planned to steal weapons out of his father’s gun closet and survival kits. He also allegedly considered killing his father in the attack

For months, Alexander Scott Mercurio, 18, unknowingly outlined to the FBI his alleged planned attack on churches in his hometown of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

In messages and during face-to-face meet-ups with confidential informants working for the FBI, Mercurio allegedly explained every aspect of his planned attack in the name of ISIS: including his decision to “walk to the nearest Church,” according to the federal criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

Equipped with weapons, he allegedly said he planned to: “Storm the temple, kill as many as possible” and “then burn the temple to the ground and flee the scene, then move onto the next church, rinse and repeat for all 21+ churches in the town until killed.”

Among the items the teenager allegedly discussed gathering in preparation for the attack were his father’s AR-15, “a machete, hatchet, or knives that are available within his father’s survival kits,” as well as “fanny-packs” to carry pressurized canisters on his body, hand sanitizer to use in lieu of kerosene, and a “flamethrower,” per the complaint.

Mercurio was arrested Saturday, April 6 – one day before the alleged planned attack – and charged with providing material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

His online court docket does not list a date for his initial court appearance or a lawyer representing him.

“This case should be an eye-opener to the dangers of self-radicalization, which is a real threat to our communities,” Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI said in a statement.

The teenager first popped onto the FBI’s radar in 2021, while investigating a criminal network that launders money through cryptocurrency exchanges, per the complaint.

In a group chat intercepted by investigators, the teenager identified himself as living with “very Christian and conservative parents.”

The personal messages with informants seemingly shows an angry teenager with conflicting, extreme ideas.

In one exchange with informants, Mercurio said he held “a big grudge against my parents for what they have and continue to do to me.”

In another, he allegedly said that prior to his ISIS leanings, he had, per the complaint: “‘drank the Kool-aid’ of white supremacy.”

Many messages are filled with uncertainty and reflection on his plans.

“I’ve stopped asking and praying for martyrdom because I don’t feel like I want to fight and die for the sake of Allah,” he allegedly wrote in a direct message to one informant December 21, 2023. “I just want to die and have all my problems go away…”

By February, he allegedly lamented: “I still waver” in the planned attack “because I am attached to the worldly life.”

The day before his arrest, Mercurio allegedly wrote that he was “very nervous and uncomfortable” and “my mind is racing.”

The informant asked the teenager if he planned to halt the series of attacks he had planned for Sunday, April 7.

“I can’t delay it beyond Tuesday anyway,” Mercurio allegedly responded, noting the last day of Ramadan on April 9.

On Saturday, April 6, investigators entered Mercurio’s home and recovered handcuffs, weapons, two canisters of butane fuel, binoculars, an ISIS flag and more, per the complaint.

If convicted of the terrorism-related charge, prosecutors say Mercurio faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. 

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