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Neighbors Stunned After Teen Arrested In Terror Investigation

ARVADA, Colo. (CBS4) - This Fourth of July many Arvada residents are wondering why a 19-year-old woman who lived there wanted to join Islamic extremists in Iraq who hate America.

Shannon Conley is charged with aiding the foreign terrorist organization Isis, or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It's a claim that does not go over well, particularly on the Fourth of July weekend.

Shannon Conley
Shannon Conley (credit: Facebook)

American flags filled the Arvada street where the woman lived with her family. Conley is charged with conspiracy to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization. Some neighbors like Ron Kuehn just found out about the case.

"I'm really shocked, and I'm anti-terrorist anyway, and to find out that it's in my own neighborhood is really insane," Kuehn said.

Conley had a Facebook page under the name Halima Conley. Posted on her page is a video from Channel 4 London about Western women who marry Islamic fighters.

Court documents claim Conley joined the Army Explorers to be trained in U.S. military tactics and firearms, and that she told the FBI she wanted to wage Jihad and to go overseas and fight.

Neighbors noted the irony on this Fourth of July

"And here we are all decorated for America, you know, and then to hear something like that, that she was going to go over there and fight against us, basically," neighbor Brenda Herrera said.

Conley's parents did not answer the door when CBS4 Investigator Rick Sallinger tried to get a comment, but marked the Fourth of July with flags outside their home. They tried to talk their daughter out of her plans, but told the FBI they failed.

shannon conley
Shannon Conley (credit: CBS)

Area residents flew their flags and wonder why their young neighbor took the course she did.

"God bless America and I hope she stays in jail for a while, and nobody needs to aid a terrorist," Kuehn said.

The FBI also tried repeatedly to talk her out of going but arrested her earlier this year at Denver International Airport with a ticket to Turkey.

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