FBI disrupts alleged New Year’s Eve attack plot in North Carolina

ON FOX FIRST – The FBI disrupted an alleged plot to assault folks at a North Carolina grocery store and fast-food restaurant on New Yr’s Eve in assist of the Islamic State group, prosecutors revealed Friday.

Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill — a metropolis exterior Charlotte — was arrested and charged with making an attempt to supply materials assist to a international terrorist group, U.S. Legal professional for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson stated.

“The FBI and our companions continued to work 24/7 through the holidays to guard the American folks, and this case during which Charlotte foiled one other alleged New Yr’s Eve attacker is the most recent instance of their nice work,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated in a press release to Fox Information Digital. “Our groups rapidly recognized the menace and acted decisively – undoubtedly saving American lives. Thanks to our Joint Terrorism Process Pressure and regional companions in New York and Western North Carolina for his or her efforts.”

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Christian Sturdivant, the 18-year-old suspect from Mint Hill, NC, accused of plotting a New Yr’s Eve assault in assist of ISIS. (Gaston County Sheriff’s Workplace)

Prosecutors stated the alleged plot was foiled after Sturdivant not too long ago started speaking on-line with a person who he “believed was affiliated with ISIS, however was in reality an undercover on-line authorities worker,” known as “OC” in a felony criticism. In one of many communications on December 14, Sturdivant allegedly despatched the OC a picture of two hammers and a knife.

“Throughout his on-line communications with the OC, Sturdivant stated, ‘I’ll quickly embark on jihad,’ and proclaimed that he was ‘a soldier of the state,’ which means ISIS,” the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace stated.

“In subsequent on-line communications with the OC, Sturdivant indicated that he supposed to assault a selected grocery store in North Carolina and mentioned plans to buy a firearm to make use of along side the knives through the assault,” it added.

Prosecutors stated police seized from Sturdivant’s bed room “a blue hammer, a wooden-handled hammer and two butcher knives hidden beneath the defendant’s mattress.” On the suitable is a word titled “New Yr’s Assault 2026,” which prosecutors say was discovered by police throughout a December 29, 2025 search of Sturdivant’s house in Mint Hill, NC. (United States Legal professional for the Western District of North Carolina)

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Ferguson stated throughout a information convention Friday that the assault was deliberate in Mint Hill and that the suspect labored at a Burger King.

“He defined the place he deliberate to hold out this assault, which was at a grocery store and a quick meals restaurant in Mint Hill. Locations we go to each day and the place we do not suppose we will probably be harmed,” Ferguson added.

“He was making ready for jihad and harmless folks would die. And we have been very fortunate that they did not,” Ferguson additionally stated, later including, “I can let you know from his notes the place he focused Jews, Christians and LGBTQ people.”

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Legislation enforcement officers seized a goal checklist from Sturdivant’s bed room, in addition to tactical gloves and a vest he allegedly acquired as a part of his deliberate assault. (United States Legal professional for the Western District of North Carolina)

Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi stated in a press release: “This profitable collaboration between federal and native legislation enforcement saved American lives from a horrific terrorist assault on New Yr’s Eve.”

“The Division of Justice stays vigilant in our pursuit of evil ISIS sympathizers – anybody planning to commit such wicked assaults will face the total pressure of the legislation,” she continued.

Prosecutors stated a legislation enforcement search of Sturdivant’s house on Dec. 29 revealed a number of handwritten paperwork, certainly one of which was titled “New Yr’s Assault 2026” and “listed, amongst different issues, objects corresponding to a vest, masks, tactical gloves and two knives allegedly used within the assault.”

‘It additionally acknowledged a aim to stab as many civilians as attainable [the] The entire variety of victims was 20 to 21. The word additionally contained a bit entitled ‘Martyrdom Op’, with a plan to assault the police who arrived on the scene of the assault in order that the suspect would die as a martyr,” the prosecutor’s workplace continued.

Sturdivant stays in federal custody and if convicted, he faces a statutory most sentence of 20 years in federal jail, prosecutors stated.

“The FBI’s mission is to guard the American folks, and this case demonstrates our dedication to doing every little thing we will to guard the folks of North Carolina. We have now labored intently with the Division of Justice, the NYPD, the Mint Hill Police Division and our FBI Joint Terrorism Process Pressure companions to analyze and disrupt this severe menace of violent assault. We are going to by no means cease our work to carry accountable those that try and hurt and terrorize our group,” stated James C. Barnacle, Jr., particular agent accountable for the FBI’s Charlotte Subject Workplace.

Sturdivant allegedly posted a picture in early December displaying two miniature statues of Jesus with textual content on the display studying “Could Allah curse the cross worshipers,” in response to courtroom paperwork. (United States Legal professional for the Western District of North Carolina)

The District Legal professional’s Workplace stated, citing the indictment, that on Dec. 18, the FBI in Charlotte “obtained data that a person later recognized as Sturdivant was making a number of social media posts in assist of ISIS, a delegated international terrorist group.”

“In a social put up in early December 2025, Sturdivant posted a picture of two miniature statues of Jesus with textual content on the display studying ‘Could Allah curse the cross worshippers.’ The put up could be in step with ISIS’s historic follow that requires the extermination of all non-believers, together with Christians and different Muslims who disagree with the terrorist group’s excessive ideology,” the prosecutor’s workplace added.

Barnacle stated at a information convention Friday that Sturdivant first appeared on the FBI’s radar in January 2022, when he was a juvenile.

“He had contact through social media with an unidentified ISIS member overseas. Sturdivant was instructed by this unidentified ISIS member to decorate in all black, knock on folks’s doorways and assault them with a hammer. Sturdivant even wearing all black. He left this home with a hammer and by chance his household intervened,” Barnacle continued. “No prices have been filed on the time. He was referred for psychological care and underwent psychological care.”

“This analysis highlights the very actual menace posed by folks radicalized on-line and impressed by jihadist ideologies espoused by international terrorist organisations,” Barnacle additionally stated.

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“We belief the communities we serve and encourage the general public to contact police in the event that they see or hear one thing that’s flawed. I even have this private message: In case your baby, member of the family, pal or neighbor is drifting towards a harmful ideology, you can be the primary to see it. And collectively we will cease it. The threats we face are higher than these posed by any legislation enforcement or intelligence company, and require everybody who hears this message to work collectively to guard folks,” he added.

David Spunt of Fox Information contributed to this report.