Nationality United States Name Douglas McCain Siblings Delecia McCain Religion Islam (since 2004) | Home town San Diego, California Parents Judie McCain Ethnicity African American Died August 2014, Syria | |
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Born January 29, 1981 Chicago, Illinois Cause of death Killed By Free Syrian Army Employer African Spice restaurant Residence New Hope, Minnesota, United States Organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | ||
Criminal charge Disorderly conduct | ||
Meet the soldiers who say they killed u s isis fighter douglas mccain
Douglas McAuthur McCain (January 29, 1981 – August 23/24, 2014) was an American jihadist who was killed in Syria in late August 2014, in an encounter with the Free Syrian Army while fighting for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Originally from San Diego, California, McCain, a graduate from Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, Minnesota, converted to Islam in 2004, and traveled to Syria by way of Turkey in early 2014.
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He was believed to be the first U.S. citizen to be killed while fighting for the ISIL.
At the time of McCain's death, there were reportedly "dozens" more Americans fighting in Syria for Islamic militant groups. Later it was established that the first U.S. citizen killed fighting in the Syrian Civil War was Moner Mohammad Abu-Salha in May 2014. McCain attended the same high school as did Troy Kastigar, also from the U.S., died as an Islamic extremist, in 2009 in Somalia. The two may have been roommates.
Biography
McCain was born in Chicago, Illinois. He moved from Chicago to Minnesota before moving again to California after high school. He attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School from 1997–99, before transferring to nearby Robbinsdale Armstrong High School; he never graduated. Robbinsdale Cooper was also the school Troy Kastigar had attended, and McCain may have lived in Kastigar's house for a while, in 2000 and 2001. He loved basketball and was a fan of the Chicago Bulls, and was an aspiring rapper. McCain racked up a criminal record with minor charges including traffic violations, disorderly conduct, and giving false names to police officers; by 2004 he had converted to Islam (according to a Tweet ten years later in which he said it was "the best thing that ever happen[ed]" to him). He traveled to Europe, and by 2013 was back in San Diego where he worked in a mosque (other sources say he worked in Somali restaurant, and "frequented" a mosque).
According to a former classmate he was eager to talk about Islam and his conversion, but remained respectful of others' beliefs and was not radical. He was active on social media, with the handle "Duale Khalid" on Twitter and "Duale ThaslaveofAllah" on Facebook.
McCain was killed in fights with the Free Syrian Army in the weekend of August 23/24, 2014, and was found with $800 in cash on his body and a US passport.