Accomplice indicted in Mohammad cartoon contest attack

An American grand jury has indicted a man from Arizona for involvement in the attack at the prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Garland, Texas in May. PVV leader Geert Wilders was a guest speaker at the event.

Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, also known a Decarus Thomas, allegedly provided guns to the shooters. He also practiced shooting and talked through the plan of the attack with them, CNN reports. He has been charged on three counts and more arrests may follow.

Only two men directly took part in the shooting on May 3rd. Both of them - Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi - were killed by the police. Only one security guard was injured.

According to a federal indictment that CNN has in its possession, Kareem played a significant role in the attack. He gave firearms to Simpson and Soofi, traveled to "remote desert areas near Phoenix, Arizona, to practice shooting", and "did knowingly and intentionally transport firearms and ammunition" across state lines knowing that they would be used in an attack in Texas.

The document also states that Kareem hosted Simpson, Soofi "and other persons known and unknown to the grand jury inside his home to discuss the Mohammad Art Exhibit ant Contest and their plan to travel from Phoenix, Arizona, to Garland, Texas, to conduct an attack". These other people were not identified in the document.

Geert Wilders called the attack in Texas an "unacceptable" attack on free speech. Since the attack he has been advocating to have the cartoons of prophet Mohammad displayed in parliament buildings and plans to display them on national television later this month.

Terrorist organization ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, but did not offer any proof to substantiate the claim. American officials believe that ISIS was only taking the opportunity to claim an attack on American soil.