FBI foils alleged Election Day terrorist attack in Oklahoma
An Afghan citizen residing in Oklahoma is in custody after the FBI foiled an alleged attempt to carry out an Election Day terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS.
Nasir Ahmed Tawhedi, 27, is accused of conspiring to obtain AK-47 assault rifles and providing material assistance to ISIS for a violent attack on U.S. soil on Election Day.
A news release from the U.S. Department of Justice says Tawhedi and a juvenile co-conspirator were in the process of liquidating their family’s assets on Facebook.
An FBI confidential human source inquired about buying a computer. That ultimately led to a meeting at a rural location to test firearms, where Tawhedi and the juvenile purchased guns, magazines and ammunition. They were then arrested.
The DOJ says seized communications and a post-arrest interview revealed an attack was planned for Election Day targeting large gatherings of people where Tawhedi and the juvenile expected to die as martyrs.
An investigation including the Oklahoma City FBI field office and local law enforcement is ongoing.
Norman City Council Delays Decision on Overnight Shelter Contract
With no backup operator for Norman’s downtown overnight shelter lined up, the Norman City Council voted to postpone their decision on whether to cancel their contract with the current operator.
On Tuesday evening, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 to postpone their vote on whether to cancel their contract with nonprofit Food & Shelter, which has operated the shelter since 2022.
The nonprofit announced it would be stepping away from operating the shelter last month after disagreements with the City over reported misspending identified by the City auditor and the City’s new requirement for a third party security contractor with additional security measures like metal detection.
During the meeting, Ward One Councilmember Austin Ball said the shelter is unsafe.
But Lauri Swan, a Norman resident who currently stays at the shelter, said she felt safe there after having emergency surgery.
"I was probably at the weakest I’ve ever been. I didn’t feel unsafe there," said Swan.
The Council is expecting to hear a proposal from a potential new shelter operator before the next meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Deadline to Register to Vote This Week
The deadline to register to vote is quickly approaching. Oklahomans have until this Friday to register for the November election.
The State Election Board says they have been seeing a high volume of requests and are encouraging Oklahomans not to wait until the last minute.
Oklahomans can register to vote online at the State Election Board’s website, or by visiting their county election board or tag agency.
The State Election Board says over 2.4 million Oklahomans are already registered to vote in the upcoming election.
State Department of Education Changes Criteria for Bible Bids
The State Department of Education is revising its bid proposal for the purchase of 55,000 Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms.
The update comes after nationwide criticism of the original proposal, which appeared to be tailored to Bibles endorsed by Donald Trump.
The original Request for Proposal specified the King James Version Bibles must contain the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Monday, Walters took to social media to admonish news outlets for reporting the RFP’s scope appeared to be tailored to the $60 God Bless the USA Bible, endorsed by Trump.
"The left-wing media hates Donald Trump so much, and they hate the Bible so much, they will lie and go to any means necessary to stop this initiative from happening," Walters said.
The updated version allows, but does not require, the Bible and founding documents to be bound separately. It also allows OSDE to award contracts to multiple suppliers, adds pricing to the evaluation criteria and extends the closing date by a week.
OKC Police Increase Presence in Bricktown After Weekend Shootings
Oklahoma City Police are enforcing safety measures in Bricktown after two shootings over the weekend.
Oklahoma City Police Chief Ron Bacy says 10 additional officers will be posted in Bricktown on the weekends.
Patrolling officers will enforce the 9 p.m. curfew of minors and ticket those in violation.
This comes after two shootings took place Saturday night in Bricktown leaving four people injured.
Police say they found two guns and arrested a 14-year-old male.
Chief Bacy says the curfew is not only for the safety of minors, but for the safety of everyone.
The shootings are still under investigation at this time.
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