Canadian suspect worked as caretaker
Man is a good tenant, not known for trouble, says landlord
FLINT, MICH. — The man charged with stabbing a police officer at the Flint airport in a possible act of terrorism lived quietly with his family at a Montreal apartment complex where he also worked informally as a part-time caretaker of the property, his landlord said Thursday.
Amor Ftouhi, 49, kept the building stairwells clean and always paid his rent on time, Luciano Piazza told The Associated Press.
Ftouhi, who lived in a two-bedroom apartment with his wife and teenage children, was “a good person” and “never made any trouble,” Piazza said.
Investigators are working to learn more about Ftouhi, whom they describe as a lone-wolf attacker who made his way from Canada to the seemingly random destination of Flint, a struggling Michigan city once known for its sprawling General Motors factories but now better known for lead-tainted water.
The attack Wednesday at Bishop International Airport, about 80 kilometres northwest of Detroit, was being investigated as an act of terrorism, but authorities said they have no indication that the suspect was involved in a “wider plot,” said David Gelios, the FBI agent in charge.
Ftouhi, a dual citizen of Canada and Tunisia, stabbed airport police Lieutenant Jeff Neville with a large knife after yelling “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great.” According to the FBI, Ftouhi said something similar to “you have killed people in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are all going to die.”
Ftouhi was immediately arrested and was charged in a criminal complaint with committing violence at an airport. More charges could be filed as prosecutors take the case to a grand jury, Gelios said.
The suspect appeared in federal court in Flint to hear the charge and will get a court-appointed attorney. A bond hearing was scheduled for next Wednesday.
Ftouhi indicated to court officials that he has lived in Canada for 10 years and has three children.
“He said he was working off and on as a truck driver. Last worked about two weeks ago,” Linsey Carson, a court pretrial services officer, told a judge. “He indicated no mental or physical health problems and no drug or alcohol use.”
Meanwhile, Neville was “doing well” at a hospital, airport director Craig Williams said Thursday.
Airport officials planned to hold a news conference later Thursday, and the FBI planned to brief reporters in Detroit.
“At this time, we view him as a lone-wolf attacker,” Gelios said. “We have no information to suggest any training.”
Ftouhi’s Facebook page shed little light on his views. The only posts in the past few years were two YouTube videos in Arabic — one about methods of memorizing the Qur’an and another about how to stop somebody from swallowing their tongue.
Police in Canada were searching a Montreal apartment. Montreal police spokesperson Benoit Boiselle said officers were assisting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the search on behalf of an FBI request.
Three people staying at the residence had been taken in for questioning, Boiselle said.