Adel Daoud: Chicago teen arrested in ‘jihad’ terrorist bomb attempt

Adel Daoud, 18, a US citizen, was arrested Friday night when he tried to blow up what he thought was a car bomb in front of a downtown bar after undercover federal agents gave him fake bomb materials.

According to BBC News, Daoud was charged today with trying to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to destroy a building using explosives.

The teenager came to the FBI's attention this spring after posting something online, reported the Chicago Tribune. Two undercover agents then contacted him and he "expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, either in the United States or overseas," according to a news release from the US attorney's office. Daoud then started using an email account last October "to obtain and distribute material, some of which he purported to author, relating to violent jihad and the killing of Americans," court documents said.

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The Tribune also noted that Daoud put together a list of 29 possible targets that he sent to one of the undercover agents. "The targets included military recruiting centers, bars, malls, and other tourist attractions in and around the Chicago area," according to an affidavit in the case.

If convicted of all charges, Daoud could face a maximum of life in prison for attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and could be jailed for a minimum of five years and a potential maximum of 20 years for attempt to destroy a building using explosives, according to UPI.