Teenager sentenced for Islamic State-inspired plot to bomb Phoenix Pride festival

PHOENIX – A teenager who plotted to bomb the Phoenix Pride festival in 2024 was sentenced to 1.75 years in prison on Friday.

Marvin Jalo, 18, was arrested in October 2024 under an indictment that said he was part of an Islamic State-inspired plot to bomb the annual LGBTQ+ celebration in downtown Phoenix.

Jalo already has credit for 599 days in custody. He will be placed on five years of probation upon his release.

Jalo was 17 when he was arrested, and prosecutors chose to try him as an adult.

He was originally charged with one count each of terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism before pleading guilty to one count of attempt to make a terrorist threat, according to court records.

How did authorities learn of Phoenix Pride bomb plot?

Prosecutors said Jalo discussed his plans to bomb the Phoenix Pride festival in online chat rooms from November 2023 to May 2024.

A call from a family member related to other concerns put authorities on the his trail.

“The family member was concerned that he had been radicalized and was planning something,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell told KTAR News 92.3 FM a week after Jalo was arrested. “And that led to a greater investigation, which revealed that he had not only talked about building an improvised explosive device, but had collected ingredients necessary to do that.”

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