Nation in brief

Man planned attack at mall, officials say

A Muslim convert who talked about his desire to wage jihad against civilians was charged Friday in a plot to set off hand grenades at a shopping mall at the height of the Christmas rush, authorities said.

Investigators said Derrick Shareef, 22, an American citizen from Rockford, Ill., was acting alone and never actually obtained any grenades. He was arrested Wednesday when he met with an undercover agent in a parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a gun, authorities said.

Authorities said Shareef had been under investigation since September, when he told an acquaintance that “he wanted to commit acts of violent jihad against targets in the United States as well as commit other crimes.” The acquaintance immediately informed the FBI, officials said.

Armed man clears security, kills three

A gunman carried a cache of weapons past security in a giant envelope Friday afternoon, chained a law office’s doors closed and fatally shot three people before a police sniper killed him as he held a hostage at gunpoint, authorities said.

Officers entered through another door in the U-shaped office, and a SWAT officer shot the gunman from about 45 yards away, Superintendent Phil Cline said.

There was no negotiation, and the hostage was unharmed, he said.

The shootings at the 43-story Citigroup Center, which also houses a train station, sent office workers fleeing and stranded rush-hour commuters.

Cline said the gunman, who was armed with a revolver, a knife and hammer, didn’t work in the office but demanded to see one of the victims who was killed.

“He was not employed there, but we feel he did have previous encounters with the individuals in that office,” Cline said.

None of the dead victims, all men, or the gunman was identified. A fourth victim, a woman, was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the foot but was expected to be released later Friday night, Rush University Medical Center spokeswoman Kim Waterman said.

Salt Lake City

Police chief vows allegiance to Jeffs

The chief law enforcer in two Utah-Arizona border towns is accused of misconduct after writing a letter pledging love and allegiance to the leader of a polygamous sect, who was a federal fugitive at the time.

“I love you and … know that you have the right to rule in all aspects of my life,” Fred Barlow wrote in the October 2005 letter to Warren Jeffs. “Without priesthood I am nothing.”

Barlow warmly addressed Jeffs as “Uncle Warren.”

Barlow is the police chief of a joint department serving Colorado City, Ariz., and Hildale, Utah. Jeffs is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has 10,000 followers in those two towns.

The FLDS church practices polygamy, and congregants revere Jeffs as a prophet and are taught to be obedient, including marrying at his behest.

Jeffs was on the FBI’s top 10 most wanted list when he was arrested near Las Vegas on Aug. 28.