Chicago teen in custody for allegedly trying to join ISIL

Islamic Extremism

Nineteen-year-old Mohammed Hamzah Khan lived with his parents in the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook Federal before he boarded a flight overseas allegedly to join the terrorist group ISIL. Federal agents arrested Kahn on Saturday at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. CCTV America’s Roza Kazan reports from Chicago.

Khan has been charged with attempting to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations inside Iraq and Syria, something his neighbors in suburban Chicago find hard to believe.

It’s unclear what tipped off authorities about Khan’s alleged intentions. Federal agents who searched his family’s home found several handwritten documents expressing support for ISIL.

He’ll appear in court Thursday to determine whether he will be held in jail or released on bail.

For more on foreign fighters joining ISIL, CCTV America spoke with retired Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer, now a senior fellow at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies.