North Carolina teen 'who wanted to show his support to ISIS by killing 1,000 Americans' is arrested after his father alerted authorities
- Justin Nojan Sullivan, a self-described Muslim convert from Morganton, North Carolina, was arrested on Friday and appeared in court on Monday
- His dad called authorities in April to report that the teenager was destroying religious items and added: 'We are scared to leave the house'
- An undercover FBI agent contacted Sullivan 'who said he wanted to kill 1,000 people with biological weapons, gas bombs and cyanide bullets'
- He 'said he was going to buy a gun on June so he could kill people'
- Authorities arrested him on Friday and found a silencer at his home
Published: 19:33 GMT, 22 June 2015 | Updated: 22:59 GMT, 22 June 2015
Arrest: Justin Nojan Sullivan, 19, told an undercover FBI agent that he wanted to kill 1,000 people
A 19-year-old who said he wanted to support ISIS by killing as many as 1,000 Americans has been arrested after his dad alerted authorities.
Justin Nojan Sullivan, a self-described Muslim convert from Morganton, North Carolina, was arrested on Friday and faces several charges, including attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State group.
Federal authorities were first made aware of the teen's alleged plot when his father, Richie Sullivan, told emergency dispatchers on April 21 that his son was destroying religious items in their home.
'I don't know if it is ISIS or what, but he is destroying Buddhas and figurines and stuff,' Mr Sullivan, a former Marine, said, according to the criminal complaint filed on Monday. 'I mean, we are scared to leave the house.'
In the background of the call, his son was heard asking: 'Why are you trying to say I am a terrorist?'
When an undercover FBI employee made contact with Sullivan on June 6, the teen told him via email that he was a a Muslim convert, according to court documents.
I liked IS from the beginning then I started thinking about death and stuff so I became Muslim,' he said, according to the complaint.
Two days later, he said he wanted to kill 500 people but the next day said he wanted to kill 1,000 by using biological weapons, a gas bomb and bullets coated with cyanide.
'Even if we get someone in the arm they'll still die because of the poison,' he allegedly said. 'It's vengeance.'
He also told the undercover federal worker that he planned to buy a semi-automatic rifle on June 20 at a local gun show so he could carry out his murderous plan, according to the criminal complaint.
'Our attacks needs to be as big as possible,' he allegedly said. 'We can do minor assassinations before the big attack for training.'
At first he told the FBI that he didn't mean to go through with his plans, but then he said he planned the attacks between June 21 and June 23 because his parents would be out of town.
In court: Sullivan was seen leaving the federal courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina on Monday afternoon
Taken away: He allegedly told an undercover FBI worker that he wanted to used biological weapons, a gas bomb and bullets coated with cyanide to kill people across the U.S.
He claimed that he had looked for possible targets in the online Yellow Pages and had asked the undercover agent to kill his parents.
He also asked for the undercover worker's help with obtaining a silencer.
Sullivan also allegedly promised to send the agent money to kill his parents and to recruit others to the 'Islamic State of America.'
Authorities went to his home on Friday and took him into custody without incident. At his home, they found a silencer, according to the court papers.
Sullivan 'was planning assassinations and violent attacks in the United States,' said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin.
We are scared to leave the house
Justin Sullivan's father during call to dispatchers in April
He is charged with supporting a terrorist organization and weapons charges. If convicted, he could get up to 40 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Images taken by WCCB show him looking down as he was led from federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina in cuffs on Monday.
He exchanged looks with his father and stepmother, Eleanor Sullivan, during the 15-minute hearing, the Charlotte Observer reported.
As the couple left court, Mr Sullivan simply said: 'We're shocked.'
ISIS is a militant organization that broke with the al-Qaida network and took control of large parts of Iraq and Syria, where it declared a caliphate, a traditional form of Islamic rule.
It is made up of mostly of Sunni militants from Iraq and Syria, while also drawing jihadi fighters from across the Muslim world and Europe.
Sullivan's next hearing will be 10.45am on Wednesday in the federal courthouse in Asheville.
