Terror In Suburbia

FBI agents from the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force have arrested a man who appears to have been planning a lone-wolf terror attack at a shopping mall on the East side of Rockford, Illinois. They arrested the man when he tried to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a handgun.

Derrick Shareef, of Rockford, was arrested on Wednesday by FBI agents from the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

He was apprehended after meeting with an undercover agent in a Rockford store parking lot to trade a set of stereo speaksers (sic) for four hand grenades and a handgun, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Shareef was charged with one count of count of attempting to damage or destroy a building by fire or explosion and one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, authorities said.

Shareef allegedly planned to set off the grenades at the CherryVale Shopping Mall, near Interstate 90 and Interstate 39 on Rockford's east side. The mall has about 130 retail stores and is owned byy (sic) a Tennessee-based company, authorities said.

Authorities reported that the mall was one of several potential targets Shareef allegedly discussed with undercover agents, and the others were primarily local government facilities.

Earlier information said the case was connected to a terrorist plot against a Chicago mall, but that turned out not to be correct.

Federal authorities said the public was not in danger.

My family used to live not all that many miles from Rockford. Before this, Rockford was best known as the hometown of the band Cheap Trick. Authorities insist that the man was under observation and that the public was in no danger. They are also saying he was acting all alone and has no ties to any group.

UPDATE: More details including information from the afadavits that were filed with the court.

Shareef told an undercover informant that he wanted to attack a courthouse in DeKalb County and "smoke a judge," according to the complaint.

"[T]he courthouse in DeKalb where I be going every month …You go in there and you clock the first three [guards] at the door that they got, and you up in there, you know what I'm saying…I just want to smoke a judge," the complaint quoted Shareef as saying.

The informant then asked Shareef when he wanted to stage the attack. "What do you think? I like the holiday season," the complaint quotes him as saying.

On Nov. 30, Shareef and the informant met to discuss an attack, authorities allege. During that meeting, the informant suggested to Shareef that he might "hit the mall," the complaint states.

"I mean, alright, we gotta look at it this way, we want to disrupt Christmas," the informant told Shareef.

"Oh hell yeah, the mall is where it's at," the complaint quotes Shareef as responding.

The informant then asked Shareef if he needed hand grenades.

"You go in there and toss a grenade, and no one's gonna know who did it," the informant said.

Not a good thing any way you look at it.