The FBI arrested an armed 21-year-old man over the weekend they say appeared to be planning a terror attack in support of ISIS.
Federal agents arrested Jonathan Kramer of Valencia, Pennsylvania, on September 12, shortly after they say he went to a Walmart parking lot in a Pittsburgh suburb to pick up a semiautomatic rifle that he planned to use to carry out a mass attack. Prosecutors allege that Kramer has a history of sharing ISIS propaganda and discussing terror attacks, according to court documents.
“Kramer was taken into custody just as he appeared to be preparing for a mass shooting that could have taken many lives, having already secured a rifle and approximately 190 rounds of ammunition for what he called his ‘mission,’” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. “His apparent ISIS inspiration and escalation toward violence show how close this country came to a devastating attack.”
Kramer has been charged with receiving a firearm and ammunition knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the firearm and ammunition would be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism. A federal public defender told The Daily Wire that Kramer has no comment at this time.
The FBI had been surveilling Kramer for months after they received a tip in March 2026 from an associate who was concerned he might be plotting a mass shooting. That tip came after Kramer was released from Pennsylvania state custody following juvenile charges in 2023 for possessing child pornography and planning a mass casualty attack.
After the tip, the FBI started tracking anonymous accounts linked to Kramer that posted pro-ISIS propaganda. Beginning on June 29, 2026, an FBI confidential source started engaging online with an account linked to Kramer under the name “Hamza Al Rashid” on the platform SimpleX. xz
On July 2, 2026, the account told the FBI source about a planned attack that would focus on an area with “choke points” and using smoke bombs and pepper spray to blind the crowd of people. In another message, the account said that his parents were “not fond of me” and “does not like me [sic]” because “of Islam,” according to court documents.
In a September 9, 2026, post on SimpleX, Hamza Al Rashid wrote, “i do not know anyone personally. i am preparing for my mission, i just need a weapon and as soon as i have that i am ready.”
Three days later, the FBI said it watched Kramer take an Uber to a Walmart, where he purchased a burner phone. In the Walmart parking lot, Kramer met with an unidentified individual who gave him a long black bag before he traveled to a hotel in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, according to the FBI. After paying for the hotel room in cash, Kramer went out to a sporting goods store. When he returned, he was arrested by FBI agents.
The FBI then executed a search warrant of Kramer’s possessions and seized a semiautomatic rifle, five rifle magazines, a rifle bipod and scope, 190 rounds of rifle ammunition, a prayer rug, 30 knives, and a note saying, “DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear [sic throughout].”
Kramer’s first court appearance was on Monday, and prosecutors are asking a judge to keep him in prison while the case plays out.
“As Americans observed the 25th anniversary of 9/11, our law enforcement partners were working to protect our country from the continued threat of terrorism,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Their outstanding work thwarted this alleged attack before innocent lives could be lost. The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to terrorize the American people and bring them to justice.”
.png)
.png)
