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Bolingbrook teen in terrorism case called intelligent, normal

Portions of the court proceedings against a Bolingbrook teen accused of trying to travel abroad to join the Islamic State terrorist group should be closed to the public, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the attorney for Mohammed Hamzah Khan, 19, called Khan an intelligent believer of Islam, and neighbors called him a normal teenager. Khan's family is asking that people not jump to conclusions.

The request to close some of the court proceedings was discussed during a hearing on whether Khan should remain behind bars before he goes on trial.

Prosecutors said some of their evidence relies on testimony from minors.

“There are minors involved in this case, and their identities should not be revealed,” Judge Magistrate Susan Cox said.

She continued the hearing to Oct. 21, when she is expected to rule on closing off the trial and whether Khan will remain in jail.

After the hearing, Khan's attorney, Tom Durkin held a brief news conference.

“The judge, as she said in open court, wants further briefing on the issue of closing the courtroom, and I'm very, very delighted by that,” he said. “I'm adamant about not giving up constitutional guarantees out of fear of hysteria. Some people may think I'm overreacting, but that's my job.”

In an earlier motion, prosecutors stated that investigators said Khan — who was born in the suburbs to Indian parents — left a letter for them in his bedroom expressing disgust with Western society.

He's charged with attempting to provide material support to foreign terrorists. A conviction carries a maximum 15-year prison term.

Durkin argued, outside court, that he does not believe the Islamic State group to be a threat to the U.S. nor was Khan providing “material support” to the organization.

“My client is a very intelligent and fervent believer of Islam,” Durkin said. “Whether anyone else disagrees with how he sees things is another issue, and that's his right.”

Meanwhile, neighbors of Khan expressed disbelief over his arrest.

Khan, several said, appeared to be “a normal teenager“ who enjoyed riding his bicycle and playing basketball with his middle-school-age brother.

Durkin said Khan's family is asking for understanding.

“They would simply ask everyone to be patient and not to jump to any conclusions and to not be prejudiced by any type of attire they wear or any of their beliefs as if somehow that makes them more likely to be sympathetic to terrorists or anything like that,” Durkin said. “They are both citizens. They are from India. They are Americans first and foremost.”

Neighbor Aimy Wipfler said Khan never spoke to her.

“He just didn't seem like he wanted to be bothered by anybody,” she said. “I guess he was just quiet — very quiet.”

Next-door neighbor Jennifer Moore described the Khans as a nice family.

“I would see the mom in the backyard, and we would kind of chitchat,” she said. “The kids were all very nice and polite.”

Jennifer Moore's husband, Steve, often chatted with Khan's father and had fixed the family's cars on several occasions.

“Shafi, the father, is a real nice guy,” Moore said. “They are very cordial people as far as I can tell.”

Steve Moore said he had spoken to Khan a couple of times. Still, he repeated what other neighbors observed about Khan's demeanor.

“He was kind of a quiet kid,” Moore said. “He didn't really say much — a soft-spoken kid.”

Moore said he was surprised to learn that Khan is accused of wanting to join a terrorist organization.

“I actually feel bad for the parents, especially if they had no idea what was going on,” he said.

The mosque Khan attended is a short walk from his parents' house.

The Muslim Association of Bolingbrook, which manages the mosque, issued a statement saying it will “cooperate fully with law enforcement,” if approached by authorities.

“MAB is an organization that works for the betterment and enrichment of all of our neighbors here in Bolingbrook,” the statement reads.

The group directed all media inquiries to an attorney who didn't return repeated telephone messages.

Last year, Khan was a freshman college student majoring in engineering science at Benedictine University in Lisle. However, school officials said he didn't register for this year's fall semester and isn't currently enrolled.

Durkin said Khan took the semester off to work to pay for the next year's tuition, but he wouldn't elaborate on how Khan supported himself or his planned trip.

In a written statement, Benedictine University President William Carroll said the university community was “shocked and saddened” after Khan's arrest.

“This incident is a reminder that Benedictine University is part of the real world and in a very real sense one of the crossroads of that world,” Carroll wrote. “We value our diversity and believe that world peace will only be achieved when disparate groups learn to respect and talk with one another. ... The world needs understanding and love, not more hatred and evil.”

Durkin set a realistic expectation for the Khan family Thursday when asked if he thought they might be reunited with their son after the Oct. 21 bond hearing.

“Anybody that would be confident that anyone charged with terrorism in the United States, in this day and age, to be confident about getting back to their family would be an idiot,” he said.

• The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Attorney Tom Durkin talks to reporters, as Shafi and Zarine Khan, parents of Mohammed Hamzah Khan, look on. Associated Press
Shafi, left, and Zarine Khan, after a federal magistrate judge put off ruling on whether their 19-year-old son should stay behind bars pending trial. Associated Press
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