17-year-old becomes first person in Harris County charged with terrorism under new Texas law

A Hockley teen has become the first person in Harris County to be charged with terrorism under a new state law.

Seventeen-year-old Laith Adil Shehzad is being held on a $10 million bond.

According to court documents, Shehzad was plotting to kill people in a mass shooting by using a Glock semi-automatic firearm equipped with a standard magazine, an extended magazine, and a drum-style magazine.

The feds said Shehzad was communicating with an “extremist cell member” who is in custody in the Philippines for terrorist acts. According to the FBI, he asked questions about whether his weapon was powerful enough for a mass shooting. Shehzad also sought guidance from him for dying as a martyr.

Investigators said he was using multiple Facebook accounts to contact others associated with extremist Islamic views. Investigators said they also found ISIS propaganda and recruiting videos on his Facebook account.

Read more: KHOU