Assassination Plot: Teen Arrested In Scheme Targeting Rep. Keith Self

The FBI has arrested a 17-year-old from McKinney, accusing him of plotting to assassinate U.S. Representative Keith Self. The teen, whose identity has not been released, was taken into custody on October 5. Self's campaign was notified of the arrest by U.S. Capitol Police the next day.

The alleged plot centered on a chili cook-off fundraiser for veterans that was scheduled for October 17. The event was to feature former Dallas Cowboys players and other notable guests. Federal investigators told Self's team that they believed the teen had been radicalized. They also said he was planning a terrorist attack on behalf of ISIS and intended to target Self at the event.

Self, who is currently running for his third term to represent Texas' third congressional district, said the situation was serious enough to warrant a change in his own security posture. He confirmed that his team had increased their vigilance in response to the news. Self's wife, who spent 25 years as a military spouse, has also been taking the threat seriously.

The congressman, who has a military background, said he was able to process the information more calmly than some others might. He noted that he had faced threats in the past, but this was different. "We knew there were threats, but nothing has risen to the level of an arrest," Self said. "That's what makes this different. And frankly, the seriousness of it, we understand it could have been a very serious incident from what we've been told." He said his response was shaped by his past service. "Having deployed into combat zones several times, I'm happy it happened to me because people that have never dealt with this before tend to freak out when somebody tells you that somebody's trying to kill you," he said. "So in my case, it was a little more calm. I understood since the arrest had already taken place, we just needed to be aware of was he a lone wolf or not. So, we took that seriously. But it was not as a traumatic for me as it might have been for some of my colleagues."

Despite the threat, Self attended the fundraiser as planned. He judged 19 different chilies and three pots of beans, and he reported that the event went well. He has continued to campaign in the days since. "I've been out poll greeting this morning," he said on October 22. "And every day I've been out poll greeting, meeting voters. So we're going to continue to go. This will not deter me from what I think I need to be doing to alert the American people to this political ideology. So it won't deter me. We will continue to do our job."

The arrest comes as Self has taken a public stance against Sharia law. In September, he introduced a nonbinding concurrent resolution on the topic. His district includes McKinney, the same city where the teen was arrested. In August, the McKinney City Council voted to approve an expansion plan for a local mosque after a contentious meeting.

Evan Hunt, Self's opponent in the upcoming midterm election, has also condemned the alleged plot on social media. The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI's Dallas office has not yet released further details.