Bloomington Mosque Bombing: Illinois Men Face Hate Crime Charges

HENNEPIN COUNTY, MN — The FBI Thursday announced a five-count federal indictment charging Michael Hari, 47, Michael McWhorter, 29, and Joe Morris, 22, with charges including federal civil rights and hate crime violations in connection with an explosion at the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center (DAF) in Bloomington Aug. 5.

McWhorter, Morris, and Hari were previously named in a criminal complaint filed on March 13 charging them with arson.

The three defendants are currently being held in custody in Urbana, Illinois, on separate charges.

“All people – regardless of where they worship – have the right under federal law to live free from the threat of violence and discrimination,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore in a statement. “This Justice Department will hold accountable under the law anyone who attempts to commit violent acts of hate by threat or action.”

“These three defendants allegedly plotted and executed a plan designed specifically to spread fear and threaten a fundamental right afforded to all, the freedom of religion,” said U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald.

“In spite of the destructive and violent act alleged in the indictment, our communities have found strength in taking a unified stand against the attack. My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to upholding the laws that protect the civil rights of all Americans.”

The indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges that Hari constructed a pipe bomb and rented a pickup truck in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Hari, McWhorter, and Morris drove from Illinois to Bloomington in the pickup truck, stopping along the way to purchase diesel fuel and gasoline, authorities say.

The three men mixed these ingredients together in a plastic container, according to police.

The indictment alleges that in the early morning of Aug. 5, Morris broke a window at DAF and threw the plastic container filled with the diesel fuel and gasoline mixture into the building.

It's also alleged that McWhorter then lit the fuse and threw the pipe bomb in the broken window at DAF.

According to court documents, the window that was broken was part of the Imam’s office. When the pipe bomb exploded, it ignited the mixture in the plastic container, causing extensive damage in the Imam’s office.

McWhorter and Morris returned to the pickup truck, where Hari was waiting, and sped off, driving back to Illinois, police said.

The charges allege the men targeted the mosque with the intent to obstruct Muslims from worshipping there.

DAF serves as a religious center as well as a religious school for children.

As described in the complaint previously filed with the court, McWhorter said in reference to the DAF explosion, that the defendants did not intend to kill anyone, but they wanted to “scare [Muslims] out of the country” and to “show them hey, you’re not welcome here…”

Authorities say a tip from a confidential source lead investigators to the defendants.

Image via Shutterstock