man allegedly planned to set off hand grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall

[Skywatcher]

Chicago Sun-Times
A Rockford man allegedly planned to set off hand grenades in garbage cans at a shopping mall near Rockford as part of his plot to let the world know “the time for jihad is now.”
Derrick Shareef, 22, targeted the Cherry Vale shopping mall, which has about 130 retail stores. But in recorded conversations he said the mall was “just one potential place,” and that he hoped to one day “smoke a judge,” according to the federal charges.

Should he die before the attack, Shareef made a videotape statement to explain his actions.

“I am from America, and this tape is to let you guys know, who disbelieve in Allah, to let the enemies of Islam know, and to let the Muslims alike know that the time for jihad is now…be strong, oh Mujahideen…May Allah protect me on this mission we conduct…so do not cry, do not mourn for me,” he said, according to the FBI affidavit.

Shareef was arrested Wednesday by the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force after he met an undercover agent in the mall parking lot and traded a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a hand gun, according to charges.

Rockford Register-Star
Officials speaking at a press conference after the hearing said Shareef planned his attack on Dec. 22, but that he never posed a serious threat.

'Course not. What sort of legitimate terrorist gets his WD by trading stereo equiment, then figures 22 December is the best time to attack a mall? If the guy had any sense, he’d have hit those PS3 crowds on 24 November!

[Skywatcher]

Or whenever that was, I really wasn’t paying attention…

[Least_Original_User_Name_Ever]

Makes me wonder if they’d have treated a neighborhood full of destructive kids like my dad’s (when he was a tyke) as terrorists.

I hear stories about blowing garbage cans up with M80s and such.

[vibrotronica]

The guy sounds like a chump. I think it’s best that we restrain chumps who want to use explosives in public places, but since when is a hand grenade a weapon of mass destruction?

[Skywatcher]

@vibrotronica

I think it’s best that we restrain chumps who want to use explosives in public places, but since when is a hand grenade a weapon of mass destruction?

That’s why I left off the “M”.

[thirdname]

Why in garbage cans? I’d think that a hand grenade already is designed to have an optimal ratio of explosives to fragments, and a trashcan would contain the explosion at least somewhat. Now, I do know somebody who set off a firecracker in a trashcan, in a marble hall, in order to scare the bejessus out of his buddy and make him think the Germans were bombing, but that’s another story.

[athelas]

…!

[thirdname]

@athelas

…!

…???

[ryobserver]

@riker1384

Why in garbage cans? I’d think that a hand grenade already is designed to have an optimal ratio of explosives to fragments, and a trashcan would contain the explosion at least somewhat. Now, I do know somebody who set off a firecracker in a trashcan, in a marble hall, in order to scare the bejessus out of his buddy and make him think the Germans were bombing, but that’s another story.

Concealment. Putting a bomb in a trash can keeps people from noticing it until it goes off. Make the bomb strong enough and the containment won’t matter; make it really strong and it will shred the can into shrapnel, adding to the damage.

That’s why bombs are put in trash cans. Grenades are put in trash cans because amateur terrorists know bombs are put in trash cans, and don’t think about the point you raised about grenade design; and because concealment is even more important with a grenade–you can make a bomb look like a cardboard box or whatever, but most grenades only look like grenades.

[ivylass]

@Lute Skywatcher

'Course not. What sort of legitimate terrorist gets his WD by trading stereo equiment, then figures 22 December is the best time to attack a mall?

The weekend before Christmas is typically very busy. I know it will be for me, because I get one more payday before Christmas and it happens to be Dec. 22.

[enipla]

“I am from America, and this tape is to let you guys know, who disbelieve in Allah, to let the enemies of Islam know, and to let the Muslims alike know that the time for jihad is now…be strong, oh Mujahideen…May Allah protect me on this mission we conduct…so do not cry, do not mourn for me,” he said, according to the FBI affidavit.

Well, he got that last part right at least.

[SenorBeef]

@Least Original User Name Ever

Makes me wonder if they’d have treated a neighborhood full of destructive kids like my dad’s (when he was a tyke) as terrorists.

Was your dad saying stuff like “THE TIME FOR JIHAD IS NOW?”

Cause that would be really cute.
And a garbage can would severely limit the effectiveness of the grenade. The explosive is a means to propel shrapnel more than a weapon in itself - and the garbage can would largely contain the high speed, but low mass shrapnel. Unlikely to kill anyone, unless it’s open and people are close nearby.
Note to self: don’t buy hand grenades in mall parking lot.

[Angel_of_the_Lord]

I live in Rockford. A few things regarding this case:

1.) He wasn’t in a mall parking lot. He was in another parking lot. If I’m right, it’s near Wal-Mart.

2.) The mall would’ve been freakin’ PACKED on December 22nd. Unless you want to drive into the Chicago 'burbs (which is at least a 45 minute drive on the tollway), Cherryvale Mall is the only place to shop. I mean, it’s madhouse on regular weekends. On the Friday before Christmas? You couldn’t pay me to go there. It’s way worse than most of the malls in Chicago.

3.) Almost everyone in this town is a freakin’ idiot. The ineptitude of this plan is characteristic of the typical Rockford citizen.

The story has been all over the news; the local paper had a huge headline about it: “We Were The Target.” Right. The target of a home-grown psychopath who couldn’t plan with an automated planning machine on the planningest day of his life. I mean, hell, bin Ladin’s probably going to hear about this and go :smack:.