Federal prosecutors: Maryland man inspired by ISIS planned DC truck attack

U.S. prosecutors said Monday that a man plotted to drive a truck into pedestrians at the National Harbor near Washington, D.C.

The Maryland man, 28-year-old Rondell Henry, allegedly planned to drive a stolen U-Haul truck into crowds in an effort to create “panic and chaos.”

“I was just going to keep driving and driving and driving. I wasn’t going to stop,” Henry told law enforcement, according to the Associated Press, citing court filings.

{mosads}The suspect was arrested last month after police saw him jump over a security fence. According to the AP, Henry allegedly stole the U-Haul after walking off his computer engineering job on March 26.

Henry allegedly originally intended to carry out his attack at Washington’s Dulles International Airport, but was unable to breach security. He then allegedly decided to cause the damage at the National Harbor, a waterfront area with a convention center, hotels, casino and restaurants.

“But so early in the morning on a weekday, the defendant did not find the sizable crowd upon which he desired to inflict his radical conduct,” prosecutors said.

Prosecutors are asking a judge to hold Henry on a charge of driving a stolen vehicle across state lines, according to the report. A hearing on the detention motion is scheduled for later this week, according to the AP.

Prosecutors said in their filing that Henry’s alleged plan was inspired by Islamic State militants. His phone reportedly contained images of ISIS fighters, the ISIS flag and the gunman behind the 2016 mass shooting at Florida’s Pulse nightclub.