Armed student's motives unclear DearbornHis face painted black, Houssein Zorkot entered a park in east Dearborn Sept. 8, cocked an AK47 he had bought the same day, and then tried to flee police after they confronted him , authorities say.
Were those the actions of a confused young man or those of a potential terrorist with ill intentions?
Dearborn authorities say it's unclear what Zorkot, a 26-year-old medical student from Dearborn, was up to when he was in Hemlock Park armed with the AK47 he had purchased about 1 p.m. that day.
The FBI and police are investigating Zorkot, who appears sympathetic to Hizballah, a terrorist group. But for now, they've found no direct links between him and any terrorist organization, Dearborn Mayor John O'Reilly Jr. said. Dearborn police referred all calls to the mayor.
FBI Detroit Special Agent Dawn Clenney said that the agency is assisting in the investigation.
In jail on a $1-million bond, Zorkot is expected in 19th District Court on Friday for his preliminary exam on three gun charges.
The same day he was arrested, Zorkot appears to have posted photos of soldiers on a Web site. The text reads: "The Start of My Personal Jihad (in the US)."
Authorities believe the Web site was created and operated by Zorkot, O'Reilly said.
Also on the site, Zorkot praises Hizballah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Zorkot, the son of Lebanese immigrants, also has photos of recent trips to Lebanon.
Authorities don't know whether the Web site is tied to his actions in the park, which is east of Schaefer and north of Ford Road.
"Was he really dangerous or was he acting out some fantasy? We don't know," O'Reilly said.
But, he added, "right now, there is no evidence that he had any kind of plan. ... We haven't found any established link between him and any terrorist groups."
O'Reilly said that Zorkot's parents believe their son was having a hard time fitting in.
"His parents ... have said he's a young man who's just confused right now," O'Reilly said.
Zorkot, a third-year student at Wayne State University's medical school, may have been going through difficulties at school and at Providence Hospital in Southfield, O'Reilly said.
Francine Wunder, a spokeswoman for Wayne State, confirmed that Zorkot was a medical student. Brian Taylor, a spokesman for St. John Health, of which Providence is a part of, would only say that Zorkot was preparing to study surgery.
A member of Zorkot's family refused to comment.
Contact NIRAJ WARIKOO at 248-351-2998 or nwarikoo@freepress.com.
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