Was a West Philly teen trying to build bombs for Syrian terror groups? Or was he a misguided kid with no criminal intent?

First Assistant District Attorney, Robert Listenbee Jr. announced developments in the case against a West Philadelphia teen who investigators say purchased materials including chemicals, wiring, and tactical equipment associated with improvised explosive devices and conducted “generalized research” on potential targets. Read more Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

by Chris Palmer Published Sept. 16, 2025, 2:29 p.m. ET

To hear Philadelphia prosecutors tell it, Muhyyee-Ud-din Abdul-Rahman was in the midst of becoming a homegrown terrorist .

In 2023, the FBI discovered that Abdul-Rahman, then 17, had been exchanging messages with Syrian extremists on Instagram — the only person in the United States to be drawn into an online conversation with key members of Katibat al Tawhid