Two former Mississippi State University students were arrested and charged Saturday morning with attempting to join Islamic State militant group, ISIL.
During a federal court hearing that began Monday and continued this morning at 9 a.m. in Oxford, a federal magistrate judge denied bond for the former MSU students.
Jaelyn DelShuan Young, 19, of Vicksburg, Mississippi and Muhammad Oda Dakhlalla, 22, of Starkville, Mississippi were arrested Saturday morning at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport (GTRA) near Columbus, Mississippi. 
 Both were students at MSU in the past year with Young having been a sophomore chemistry major and Dakhlalla having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in May 2015.
MSU’s Chief Communication Officer Sid Salter confirmed Dakhlalla had been accepted into Grad school, but the University has not had any dealings with him since his graduation in May.
 “The MSU Police Department received a call Saturday morning from media outlets inquiring about the former student’s education history at MSU,” Salter said. “We were cooperative in providing information, but beyond this we don’t have any involvement in this case.”
The interaction
According to the United States District Court of the Northern District of Mississippi’s criminal complaint, Young and Dakhlalla were charged with violating “18 U.S.C.; 2339B,” which states that one “Knowingly provides material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, or attempts or conspires to do so…”
With plans to travel to Syria and join ISIL, the duo was unaware they were in contact with undercover FBI agents on social media, dating back to May. The court order reads:
“On or about May 13, 2015, FBI Employee 1 had online contact with an individual who expressed a desire to travel to Syria in support of ISIL and made several supportive statements of ISIL.”
The background and investigation portion of the complaint also details social media conversations between FBI Employee 1 and Young, confirming all of the social media platforms were registered to Young.
“…During one such online interaction, on May 29, 2015, Young made it clear that, in relation to the Muslim family with whom she spends a great deal of time, and her local community as a whole, ‘many of the family members and members of the community do not support Dawlah (meaning “Islamic State,” ISIL’s preferred name for itself)…’ Young expressed that she disagreed with those family and community members and stated, ‘Dawlah is correct.’”
Around June 1, Young reportedly informed FBI Employee 2 (after being introduced through FBI Employee 1 as a purported ISIL facilitator) of Dakhlalla’s involvement in the plan to travel out of the U.S. The criminal complaint also reads:
“…Young reached out to FBI Employee 2 over social media stating  ‘I need help crossing from Turkey to Syria with my hijjrah (reference for journeying to the Islamic State) partner. We will leave before August Ukhti (Ukhti is arabic for “my sister”) and we don’t know Turkey at all very well…I am skilled in math and chemistry and worked at an analytical lab here at my college campus. My partner is very good with like computer science/media. We learn very fast and would love to help with giving medical aid to the injury In sha Allah.”
Around June 3, FBI Employee 1 contacted Dakhlalla on social media, discussing Young and Dakhlalla’s journey to the Islamic state. Dakhlalla confirmed to the agent that he has his father’s approval and the two would be married before reaching their destination. Young also told FBI Employee 2 that the duo would fly to Greece and take a bus to Istanbul to avoid suspicion. Around June 17, Young confirmed the two had been married on June 6.
What do their friends have to say?
Patrick Fogarty, sophomore accounting major and friend of Dakhlalla, expressed feeling puzzled upon hearing the news of his former classmate’s attempt to join the militant group.
“We went to grade school and high school together. I hung out with him a lot,” Fogarty said. “Never in a million years would I suspect that he would even think about doing something like this.”
Fogarty went on to describe Muhammad as pleasant, social and “never in a bad mood.”
“He had plenty of friends and he did really well in his classes,” he said. “The only thing that I could think of that would lead him to do this is when he met that girl, and maybe she convinced him this was a good idea.”
West Point, Mississippi native and friend of Dakhlalla, Tyler Sumner, said he was also taken aback by the incident.
“I met him about 5 years ago (through a mutual friend) and we would hang out and he was really cool,” Sumner said. “He was really charismatic and he seemed religious, but not like an extremist.”
After highlighting negative stigmas people sometimes attach to Middle Easterners and ”brown-skinned” people in Mississippi, Sumner said he hopes the incident does not reflect negatively on Muslim residents in Starkville.
“Part of me really wants this to be some sort of misunderstanding because he just did not seem like that type of person,” he said.
Editor’s Note: The original article stated the information was from a “court order.” Information was not from a court order, but a criminal complaint. The Reflector apologizes for mistakes made.