ISIS-linked female suspect arrested in plot to blow up New York State Capitol - report

According to the NYT, the suspect is a US citizen, lives in the Albany area, and has either shown ties to or pledged allegiance to ISIS.Follow us on GoogleThe New York State Capitol is seen on August 11, 2021 in Albany, New York; Illustrative.(photo credit: MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO/GETTY IMAGES)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFAUGUST 20, 2026 21:54Updated: AUGUST 20, 2026 22:31A female suspected of having ties to the Islamic State (ISIS) was arrested on Wednesday for plotting to blow up the New York State Capitol building in Albany, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing three sources with knowledge of the matter.US Attorney’s Office prosecutors in New York's Northern District are expected to formally announce the charges later Thursday, according to the report, and law enforcement officials are also set to hold a press conference on the case at that time.NBC News identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jessica Bowie, with the report citing a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of New York as saying that she allegedly asked a source for help learning to make explosives.The complaint cited by NBC claims that Bowie converted to Islam five years ago, with several social media accounts traced back to her having posted content that supported terrorism.In addition, Bowie communicated with an FBI agent who was posing as an ISIS facilitator, according to the complaint, telling the agent about her plans to blow up the New York State Capitol building.FBI agents monitor suspicious activity; illustrative. (credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock)"I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting," the complaint accuses her of saying, noting that she claimed to want to “harm the enemies of God.”The complaint cited by NBC also noted that Bowie preferred to bomb the White House with US President Donald Trump inside, but decided against it because it was "an even harder job."Bowie hoped to get away with attack, strike againAccording to NBC, Bowie sought to escape following the attack and return to strike additional targets in the future if she managed to evade authorities.The report added that Bowie received $200 from the FBI agents, which she spent at a Home Depot on August 5 on materials involved in bomb-making. She allegedly later gave the items to agents at an in-person meeting.She further allegedly inquired of an agent how to obtain a firearm so she could "shoot back" if the police came after her.Bowie allegedly told the agents that she would feel remorse if Muslims, children, or pregnant women were killed in the attack, noting that she hoped "Allah" would forgive her, NBC added.An American citizen, Albany resident with ISIS tiesAccording to the NYT, Bowie is a US citizen, lives in the Albany area, and has either shown ties to or pledged allegiance to ISIS.It is still unclear how long the attack has been planned for, nor whether the suspect has a lawyer, the report noted.Bowie faces a court date on Thursday and is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, NBC reported.Follow us on Google