Dad Seeks Custody of Son in Alleged ISIS Terror Threat

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI – The father of a Dearborn Heights man accused of plotting to “shoot up” a Detroit church in an ISIS-inspired terror attack has asked prosecutors to recommend in federal court that he be granted custody of his 21-year-old son.

So far, the only charge against Khalil Abu-Rayyan is a 10-year felony firearms charge. He has not been charged with terrorism.

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• FBI: Dearborn Heights Man Planned ISIS-Inspired Attack
• Accused in Terror Threat, Dearborn Heights Man Appears in Court

The 21-year-old’s father, Rayyn Abo-Rayyan, on Monday filed his request with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and said he would abide by any conditions of release imposed by the court and ensure that he shows up at all scheduled hearings and proceedings, The Detroit News reports.

The FBI said in a criminal complaint unsealed on Feb. 4 that it began investigating Abu-Rayyan in May after a series of “increasingly violent threats he has made to others about committing acts of terror and martyrdom — including brutal acts against police officers, churchgoers and others — on behalf of the foreign terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.”

Federal prosecutors aid that Abo-Rayyan said he purchased an AK-47 assault weapon, ammunition, masks other items to carry out an attack on the large, unnamed church, but his father discovered them.

In his affidavit seeking custody of his son, Abo-Rayyan said he never discovered those items, but had confiscated small amounts of marijuana from his son’s car.

Abu-Rayyan is expected to appear in federal court Tuesday for a detention hearing.

According to the criminal complaint, the FBI said Abo-Rayyan told an undercover agent that he had the church shooting “all planned out.”

“Honestly I regret not doing it,” he allegedly said. “(If I) can’t go do jihad at the Middle East, I would do my jihad over here.”

The government also alleges that while in custody, Abu-Rayyan allegedly threatened to kill the officer who had arrested him in a “martyrdom operation” and said that he “would gladly behead people if I needed to.”

“It is my dream to behead someone,” he said, according to the affidavit.