Man testifies against alleged ringleader of mosque bombing

One of two Illinois men who pleaded guilty to a 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque testified that the group's alleged ringleader timed the attack to precede early morning prayers and didn't tell the others what he was planning until they were nearing their target. McWhorter and another man, 25-year-old Joe Morris, pleaded guilty to their roles in the bombing.

One of two Illinois men who pleaded guilty to a 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque testified that the group's alleged ringleader timed the attack to precede early morning prayers and didn't tell the others what he was planning until they were nearing their target. Michael McWhorter, 31, testified Thursday that once he learned of Michael Hari's plans, he did what Hari said because he feared he'd be shot if he didn't.

Hari, 49, of Clarence, Illinois, is the only one of the three men accused in the attack to go to trial. He has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including civil rights and hate crimes, stemming from the Aug. 5, 2017, attack on the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington. No one was injured in the blast, but the building was damaged. McWhorter and another man, 25-year-old Joe Morris, pleaded guilty to their roles in the bombing. Morris was also expected to testify. Hari's attorney, James Becker, told jurors that McWhorter and Morris have changed their stories and were testifying to try to get reduced sentences. They both face mandatory minimum sentences of 35 years in prison.