FBI Arrests 17-Year-Old McKinney Teen Accused of Plotting to Kill Rep. Keith Self and Stage ISIS-Inspired Attack, Sources Say

A 17-year-old from McKinney, Texas, is in federal custody. Federal law enforcement sources say he planned to assassinate Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, and carry out a separate terrorist attack in North Texas on behalf of ISIS.

WFAA in Dallas, citing those sources, reported the arrest on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The FBI took the teenager into custody on Oct. 5 after he acquired a firearm. That is 16 days before the public learned of it.

What the sources describe

The sources told WFAA reporter Jason Whitely that the teen was targeting Self at an event last Saturday, Oct. 17. Investigators also believe he was planning a separate attack in North Texas inspired by ISIS.

The sources said the teen had recently become radicalized and was being monitored by federal agents. According to Whitely's report, he drew on ISIS material found online. The report did not establish that the teen belonged to ISIS or acted under its direction.

Breitbart News, citing information it reviewed, reported that the juvenile has been charged and remains in custody. The specific charges have not been made public. The teen's name has not been released, which is standard practice when a minor is involved.

No court filing describing the allegations has surfaced. The details so far come from anonymous law enforcement sources, not from a public FBI statement or an indictment. Treat them as allegations.

Self's response

Self says he and his family are safe. He thanked the FBI and other law enforcement for stopping the threat.

"Preserving our constitutional republic from radical Islam means accepting the costs that come with it: name-calling, threats, and worse," Self said in a statement. "I served 25 years in the military because defending freedom was worth the sacrifice. This only strengthens my resolve. I will not back down."

Self, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, said he learned of the plot only after the suspect was in custody. "When we knew about it, they had him," he told CBS News Texas. "The FBI, through the Capitol Police, only tells us so much," though he added, "I understand that they've known about this kid for a while."

Asked whether his positions on Islam explain why he was targeted, Self did not claim certainty. "If it's ISIS related, you kind of have to believe that. I can't prove that. I don't know that for sure," he said. "But you have to follow the old saying: if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck."

No authority has publicly stated a motive. Federal officials have not said why the teen allegedly picked Self.

Self's record on Sharia

Self has been one of the loudest voices in Congress on the subject. He co-founded the Sharia-Free America Caucus with Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, in December 2025. By June 29, the caucus had grown to 68 House members from 25 states.

On Sept. 3, Self introduced a nonbinding concurrent resolution denouncing Sharia law and opposing its implementation in the United States. In July he introduced the Preserving Our Constitution Act, and in April the FAITH Act.

Self's public statements on the issue distinguish between extremist movements and Muslims who want to live peacefully as Americans, according to a Dallas Express account of an earlier interview with him.

Politics, and a separate case

Self is running for a third term in November. His Democratic challenger, Evan Hunt, condemned the alleged plot.

"There is no place for violence in our politics," Hunt said. "No political disagreement ever justifies threatening someone's life. Every elected official, their family and their staff deserve to be safe, regardless of party."

Hunt added that "political violence must be condemned without hesitation or excuses, no matter who is targeted." He thanked the FBI and local law enforcement.

A separate federal case surfaced this week in Minnesota. Prosecutors say 18-year-old Sheikhdoon Abdullahi Mohamud was arrested Tuesday after trying to buy an assault rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition from an undercover agent. They allege he was planning an ISIS-inspired attack at the Mall of America. FBI agent Christopher Dotson said Mohamud "pledged his allegiance to ISIS leaders." No source ties that case to the Texas arrest.

What comes next

The open items are concrete. The FBI and the U.S. attorney's office have not publicly released the charges against the McKinney teen or any detail of the alleged firearm acquisition. Whether prosecutors will seek to try a 17-year-old as an adult is also unaddressed.

The filings, when they become public, will show whether the allegations about Self and the North Texas attack hold together. They will also show what the FBI knew during the 16 days between the arrest and the public announcement.