Key facts
- Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, was charged with planning an Islamic State-inspired attack.
- The target was the New York State Capitol building in Albany.
- Bowie allegedly intended to deploy an explosive device to kill public officials and destroy the building.
- She was apprehended after obtaining what she believed to be an explosive device.
- Bowie had previously visited the Capitol grounds and taken photographs.
- She expressed anti-American messages online and celebrated the 9/11 attacks.
US authorities arrested and charged Jessica Bowie, a 35-year-old woman from Albany, New York, with planning an Islamic State-inspired attack on the New York State Capitol building. According to the Justice Department, Bowie intended to deploy an explosive device, kill public officials, and destroy as much of the building as possible before attempting to flee to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria.
Bowie was apprehended on Wednesday after she acquired what she believed to be an explosive device. The Justice Department stated that she had previously visited the Capitol grounds and taken photographs of the building, expressing her desire for the attack to have an "affect on the American system." She had also shared anti-American messages online, including celebrations of the September 11, 2001, attacks.