The Islamic State terrorist group that slaughters those who disagree with its interpretation of Islam is no longer a far-off problem in a far-off land.

A young Mississippi couple was arrested Saturday at a Columbus airport and is charged with providing assistance and materials to the foreign terrorist group. They were reportedly planning to wed in Turkey and cross over into Syria to join ISIS.

Muhammed Oda Dakhalla, of Starkville, and Jaelyn De’Shaun Young, of Vicksburg, were denied bail in a court hearing Tuesday in Oxford.

From all accounts, both were typical college students. Young is a 2013 honors graduate of Warren Central High School in Vicksburg. Her father is a member of the Vicksburg Police Department and has served as a Seabee Petty Officer Second Class in the U.S. Naval Reserve, according to The Vicksburg Post. She is a recent convert to Islam.

Dakhlalla is the son of a Starkville imam. Both are former Mississippi State University students.

So how does an honor student from Vicksburg end up in a plot to join a terrorist group that has beheaded innocents and broadcast the murders on the Internet? It’s not clear at this point.

While the vast majority of us simply can’t understand the appeal of a group that tortures and murders by the thousands, some young people in this country are drawn to their brand of extremist Islam.  The group is best known for beheading journalists, Christians and other Muslims who don’t recognize its caliph. Their propaganda includes slick videos of mass beheadings and a savvy social media strategy.

“The United Nations has held ISIS responsible for human rights abuses and war crimes, and Amnesty International has reported ethnic cleansing by the group on a ‘historic scale,'” according to Wikipedia.

So what could possibly be appealing about this group? Are those who are attracted to it simply lost individuals looking for a purpose in life? Are they in desperate need of belonging to a cause and are willing to join any group that values them? Or do they simply want to be a part of something larger than themselves?

We certainly don’t know the answer, but as a society we better figure it out soon. If we don’t, more honor students and daughters of police officers will join their murderous ranks.