Independent Newsmedia
A Valley teen was arrested and charged with making a terror threat against the annual Phoenix Pride Festival held over the weekend.
Marvin Jalo, 17, was arrested and indicted by a grand jury on one count of terrorism and one count of conspiracy to commit terrorism after an investigation by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the FBI Phoenix Field Office and the Buckeye and Glendale police departments.
Jalo allegedly expressed a plan to attack the Pride Festival, which ran Oct. 19 and 20. He will be tried as an adult, according to a release from the county attorney’s office.
Investigators said between Nov. 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024, Jalo allegedly talked in online chat rooms about getting supplies to make an improvised explosive device using triacetone triperoxide. The explosive, the release stated is unstable and can propel shrapnel when detonated.
Jalo is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond.
Phoenix Pride is an annual event celebrating the Valley’s LGBTQ community with events, concerts and a parade in central Phoenix.
“It takes a tremendous amount of cooperative work by law enforcement to develop a lead, locate a suspect, interrupt an attack, and make an arrest before a tragedy could happen,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in a statement.