Overview

Salman Rashid is a Florida resident and an alleged ISIS supporter who is currently facing federal charges of solicitation to commit a crime of violence. Rashid had asked a confidential F.B.I. source to contact members of ISIS to carry out attacks on two deans at Miami Dade College and Broward College.Mihir Zaveri, “Florida Man Sought ISIS Attack on Deans at 2 Colleges, Prosecutors Say,” New York Times, November 26, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/26/us/florida-college-isis-attack.html?searchResultPosition=7. If convicted, Rashid faces up to 20 years in prison.

Rashid first caught the authorities’ attention in April 2018 after he posted messages on Facebook in favor of the “violent overthrow of democracy and the establishment of Islamic law,” prosecutors said. A confidential source then contacted Rashid through Facebook messenger “in an effort to build rapport,” the affidavit says.“South Florida Resident Arrested for Soliciting Another to Commit a Violent Crime Against College Deans,” U.S. Department of Justice, November 25, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/south-florida-resident-arrested-soliciting-another-commit-violent-crime-against-college-deans.

In November 2018, a female student at Miami Dade College, where Rashid was a student, filed a complaint with the authorities after receiving threatening messages from Rashid. Rashid had “developed unrequited romantic feelings” for the unnamed female student. Federal investigators wrote they later found evidence on Rashid’s computer that he had searched for “how to stalk someone’s house” and confided in one of the online sources he believed to be in the Islamic State that he knew where the woman lived and worked.Kim Bellware, “A man plotted an ISIS attack in revenge for getting kicked out of college in Florida, authorities say,” Washington Post, November 27, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/11/26/man-plotted-an-isis-attack-revenge-getting-kicked-out-college-authorities-say/. In December 2018, Rashid was suspended by Miami Dade College, according to the affidavit. Rashid was then “expelled from Broward College for failing to disclose the disciplinary matter” at Miami Dade College.Mihir Zaveri, “Florida Man Sought ISIS Attack on Deans at 2 Colleges, Prosecutors Say,” New York Times, November 26, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/26/us/florida-college-isis-attack.html?searchResultPosition=7.

In May 2019, Rashid solicited a confidential human source to contact members of ISIS and instruct those ISIS members to conduct a terrorist attack on Rashid’s behalf. Rashid sought to organize an attack in response to “perceived attacks on Muslims” in his community, although he did not have a clear target at the time. Throughout the summer and fall of 2019, Rashid continued to instruct the confidential source regarding the requested attack, indicating a religious building or nightclub would be suitable and offering apparent guidelines: target “sinners,” make the explosions big to “strike fear,” and don’t hurt children.Kim Bellware, “A man plotted an ISIS attack in revenge for getting kicked out of college in Florida, authorities say,” Washington Post, November 27, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2019/11/26/man-plotted-an-isis-attack-revenge-getting-kicked-out-college-authorities-say/. Based on Rashid’s request, the FBI introduced an additional confidential human source, who held him/herself out to be a member of ISIS willing to conduct an attack.“South Florida Resident Arrested for Soliciting Another to Commit a Violent Crime Against College Deans,” U.S. Department of Justice, November 25, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/south-florida-resident-arrested-soliciting-another-commit-violent-crime-against-college-deans.

In November 2019, Rashid said he wanted that source to target the deans at Miami Dade College and Broward College, prosecutors said. Mr. Rashid “asked that explosive devices placed by the confidential human source to carry out the attack against the two individuals be as big as possible,” prosecutors said. Rashid was arrested in south Florida by federal authorities on November 25, 2019. His arraignment is scheduled for December 9, 2019.“South Florida Resident Arrested for Soliciting Another to Commit a Violent Crime Against College Deans,” U.S. Department of Justice, November 25, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/south-florida-resident-arrested-soliciting-another-commit-violent-crime-against-college-deans.