Arizona grand jury indicts juvenile for planning attack at Phoenix Pride Festival
Marvin Jalo (Courtesy: Maricopa County Sheriffs Office)
PHOENIX - Officials with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office say a grand jury has indicted a juvenile for planning to attack the Phoenix Pride Festival.
In a statement, MCAO said they arrested 17-year-old Marvin Jalo on charges of terrorism. Officials with MCAO have confirmed with us that Jalo will be tried as an adult.
Per the grand jury indictment that MCAO released, Jalo is indicted on a count of terrorism and a count of conspiracy to commit terrorism. The indictment alleges that Jalo "intentionally or knowingly did provide advice, assistance, direction or management of an act of terrorism to further the goals, desires, aims, public pronouncements, manifestos or political objective of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria."
"The defendant is currently being held on a $1 million cash-only bond," read a portion of MCAO's statement.
Officials said Jalo had "expressed his plan to attack the Phoenix Pride Festival" that happened this year.
"The investigation found that between November 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, Marvin Jalo participated in online chat rooms discussing the supplies necessary to make an improvised explosive device and then had those supplies shipped to him. He discussed his intent to make TATP (triacetone triperoxide), an unstable explosive that can propel shrapnel and other dangerous items outward, causing serious injury or death to people in the area," read a portion of MCAO's statement.
In a court audio recording we obtained, prosecutors said Jalo "posted various video of himself making the TATP" after the ingredients for the explosives were delivered to him in late November 2023, while "continuing to reference a desire to use those explosives." Prosecutors also said that on Telegram, Jalo had "conversations about making a RC-controlled bomb and attacking various targets, including in New York City."
According to Phoenix Pride's website, the Phoenix Pride Festival happened on Oct. 19 and 20. The annual Pride Parade, which is part of the festivities, happened on Oct. 20, and Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs was one of the three grand marshals for the parade.
The event's organizers describes it as "an annual celebratory and educational event commemorating the 'Stonewall Riots,' acknowledged as the beginning of the modern gay rights movement." Organizers also noted that while many communities celebrate Pride in June because of when the Stonewall Riots happened, Phoenix Pride takes place outside of June due to heat.
Officials with Phoenix Pride say they will be holding a news conference to address the matter Wednesday afternoon.