the kid was only 19. he was just on some angst-filled shock-value violent teenager shit. dude was angry & impressionable, mentally unstable, & when the FBI took wind of it they took advantage. i doubt he ever would have came up with this plot, or tried to follow through with it without their coaxing. he probably would have grown out of it. i went through my anti-american (govt.) phase too.
or maybe a little therapy would have sufficed. but fuck it, his life is over now. but people in portland shouldn't fear for their life just because of a staged event.
& that firebombing of the mosque he attended (in retaliation) was some unnecessary bullshit..