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\t\t Defense attorneys William Swor and Amir Makled declined to comment. Makled over the weekend seemed to wave off the allegations<\/a>, saying they were the result of \u201chysteria\u201d and \u201cfear-mongering.\u201d<\/p>\n Mahmoud had recently bought more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition that could be used for AR-15-style rifles, and both practiced at gun ranges, the government alleged.<\/p>\n The FBI said the men repeatedly referred to \u201cpumpkins\u201d in their conversations, a reference to a Halloween attack. The court filing says Person 1, the minor, regularly consulted the father of a \u201clocal Islamic extremist ideologue\u201d about when to commit a \u201cgood deed.\u201d<\/p>\n FBI Director Kash Patel<\/a> had announced arrests<\/a> Friday, but no details were released at the time while agents searched homes in Dearborn and a storage unit rented by Ali in nearby Inkster.<\/p>\n The searches turned up tactical vests and backpacks, AR-15-style rifles, ammunition, loaded handguns and GoPro cameras, the FBI said.<\/p>\n The criminal complaint doesn\u2019t specifically say why Ferndale was a target, though the man who attacked the LGBTQ+-friendly Pulse Nightclub, killing 49 people<\/a> in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n Ferndale, which is just north of Detroit, attracts tens of thousands of people to its annual Pride parade. Former Mayor Dave Coulter, who is gay, said it was \u201cdisturbing\u201d to hear about the alleged plot.<\/p>\n Coulter, who\u2019s now the elected Oakland County executive, said the pain of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy \u201cis still deeply felt\u201d in Ferndale.<\/p>\n
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