Alexander Ciccolo admitted he was plotting terrorist acts.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: The estranged son of a respected Boston police captain was arrested by FBI agents as part of a counter-terrorism operation against alleged ISIS-inspired domestic terrorists, according to federal officials.
Alexander Ciccolo, 23, admitted he was plotting to commit terrorist acts in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), including the setting off of pressure-cooker bombs at an unidentified university and the slaughter of students live online, reported CBS News.
“The defendant told [an operative] that the attack would be concentrated in the college dorms and cafeteria and would include executions of students broadcast live via the internet,” according to a detention memo filed by the government and unsealed on Monday, revealed NBC News.
Sources told CBS News that Ciccolo’s father, Police Capt. Robert Ciccolo, turned his son in to authorities after noticing a significant change in his behavior. His son has a history of mental illness and he’s been in and out of treatment facilities since a very young age, the source said.
Ciccolo was arrested on July 4 after being given firearms by a confidential source who was working with the FBI. He was taken into custody while carrying two rifles and two handguns back to his apartment, according to authorities.
Agents also allegedly found several partially constructed Molotov cocktails in Ciccolo’s apartment, according to WHDH 7 News.
In a meeting with a nurse during his processing at the jail, Ciccolo allegedly “grabbed a pen and forcefully stabbed the nurse in the head, leaving a bloody hole in the nurse’s skin and causing the pen to break in half,” reported the Huffington Post.
On Monday, the Ciccolo family released a statement: “While we were saddened and disappointed to learn of our son’s intentions, we are grateful that authorities were able to prevent any loss of life or harm to others. At this time, we would ask that the public and the media recognize our grief and respect our desire for privacy.”
A detention hearing has been scheduled for July 14 at 3:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Springfield, Ma., WHDH disclosed.