Flint, Michigan- an area that has been commonly heard about in the news due to an extreme water crisis is now in the news for an entirely different reason; an act of terrorism in an airport.
What happened?
On the morning of Wednesday, June 21st people in Bishop International Airport had no idea what they were about to witness. Police Officer Lieutenant Jeff Neville was patrolling the airport, in full uniform when 50-year-old Amor Ftoushi rushed him shouting "Allahu Akbar" (meaning "God is Great" in Arabic), seconds before stabbing the officer from behind in the neck.
Thankfully, the stabbing was not fatal, and Officer Neville has made a recovery from critical to stable condition. It was reported that Ftouchi legally came from Canada to the United States through Lake Champlain in New York. From New York, he flew to Michigan where he initiated his attack.
What next?
The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), is investigating this incident as an Act Of Terrorism and have identified the suspect as Amor Ftouhi who is a Canadian citizen. He has been taken into custody and charged with committing an act of violence at an airport. This carries a 20-year maximum penalty in federal prison. But, as the investigation continues more charges could be added in addition to the one mentioned above, whether they be state or federal charges.
The Fbi believes this was an isolated attack and no one else was involved in the incident. But, with this being said, the FBI believes that Ftouhi directly targeted the police. The agency released a public statement said claimed that "it is still too early to determine whether it not this was an act of terrorism" but due to the "Allahu Akbar" statement, which has been used in previous terrorist incidents, it is being investigated as if it was indeed an act of terrorism.The investigation is still underway.
As Michigan Governor Rick Snyder tweeted best all we can do is "Keep the attacked officer [Lt. Jeff Neville] in your thoughts & prayers". This was followed by a tweet by Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, stating to please keep your "thoughts and prayers with all of our Law Enforcement Officers who work to serve and protect us each day." Let's all continue to pray and hope for a speedy recovery and return for Lt. Jeff Neville. And while we're at it, give a big thank you to all law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to protect the people of the United States every single day.
