The US Justice Department said on Friday it had prevented an alleged ISIS-inspired plot by a North Carolina man to carry out a knife-and-hammer attack on New Year’s Eve.
Christan Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill, North Carolina, has been charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, the department said in a statement. He has not yet entered a plea.
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According to the statement, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who searched Sturdivant’s home recovered a handwritten note titled “New Years Attack 2026,” which allegedly outlined plans to stab up to 20 people and attack responding police officers.
Sturdivant was arrested by federal agents on Wednesday and was ordered to remain in custody after appearing before US District Judge Susan Rodriguez on Friday morning. A hearing in the case has been scheduled for January 7, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Kash Patel said on Friday that authorities had thwarted the attack. “The @FBI and partners foiled another potential New Year’s Eve attack from an individual allegedly inspired by ISIS. @FBICharlotte will be speaking at a press conference shortly with more details,” Patel wrote in a post on X, adding, “Thanks to our great partners for working with us and undoubtedly saving lives.”
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Also Read | FBI foils ISIS-inspired attack in North Carolina on New Year's Eve, 18-year-old held
Top points:
- Prosecutors said the alleged plot was foiled after Sturdivant began communicating online with an individual he believed was affiliated with ISIS, but who was actually a government online covert employee, referred to in the criminal complaint as “OC”, according to Fox News.
- In one such communication on December 14, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC an image of two hammers and a knife.
- During these online exchanges, Sturdivant allegedly stated, “I will do jihad soon,” and described himself as “a soldier of the state,” meaning ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- In subsequent conversations, Sturdivant allegedly discussed plans to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina and said he intended to purchase a firearm to use along with knives during the attack.
- Prosecutors said a law enforcement search of Sturdivant’s residence on December 29 uncovered handwritten documents, including one titled “New Years Attack 2026”.
- The document allegedly listed items to be used in the attack, including a vest, mask, tactical gloves and two knives.
- According to the Attorney’s Office, the note also stated a goal of stabbing as many civilians as possible, listing a target number of “20 to 21” victims.
- The document further included a section titled “martyrdom Op,” which allegedly outlined a plan to attack responding police officers so the defendant would die a martyr.
- Law enforcement also seized a blue hammer, a wooden-handled hammer and two butcher knives hidden under Sturdivant’s bed, prosecutors said.
- Sturdivant remains in federal custody and, if convicted, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
- Commenting on the case, James C. Barnacle, Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI Charlotte Field Office, said: “The FBI's mission is to protect the American people, and this case demonstrates our dedication to do everything we can to protect the residents of North Carolina.”
- He added that the FBI worked with the Department of Justice, NYPD, Mint Hill Police Department and Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to “investigate and disrupt this serious threat of a violent attack”.
- According to the Attorney’s Office, the FBI in Charlotte received information on December 18 that Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Fox report added.
- In one such post in early December 2025, prosecutors said Sturdivant shared an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with on-screen text stating, “May Allah curse the cross worshipers.”
- The post was described by the Attorney’s Office as being consistent with ISIS’s historic practice of calling for the extermination of non-believers, including Christians and Muslims who do not adhere to the group’s extremist ideology.
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Also Read | FBI foils ISIS-inspired attack in North Carolina on New Year's Eve, 18-year-old held
Top points:
- Prosecutors said the alleged plot was foiled after Sturdivant began communicating online with an individual he believed was affiliated with ISIS, but who was actually a government online covert employee, referred to in the criminal complaint as “OC”, according to Fox News.
- In one such communication on December 14, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC an image of two hammers and a knife.
- During these online exchanges, Sturdivant allegedly stated, “I will do jihad soon,” and described himself as “a soldier of the state,” meaning ISIS, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- In subsequent conversations, Sturdivant allegedly discussed plans to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina and said he intended to purchase a firearm to use along with knives during the attack.
- Prosecutors said a law enforcement search of Sturdivant’s residence on December 29 uncovered handwritten documents, including one titled “New Years Attack 2026”.
- The document allegedly listed items to be used in the attack, including a vest, mask, tactical gloves and two knives.
- According to the Attorney’s Office, the note also stated a goal of stabbing as many civilians as possible, listing a target number of “20 to 21” victims.
- The document further included a section titled “martyrdom Op,” which allegedly outlined a plan to attack responding police officers so the defendant would die a martyr.
- Law enforcement also seized a blue hammer, a wooden-handled hammer and two butcher knives hidden under Sturdivant’s bed, prosecutors said.
- Sturdivant remains in federal custody and, if convicted, faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
- Commenting on the case, James C. Barnacle, Jr., special agent in charge of the FBI Charlotte Field Office, said: “The FBI's mission is to protect the American people, and this case demonstrates our dedication to do everything we can to protect the residents of North Carolina.”
- He added that the FBI worked with the Department of Justice, NYPD, Mint Hill Police Department and Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to “investigate and disrupt this serious threat of a violent attack”.
- According to the Attorney’s Office, the FBI in Charlotte received information on December 18 that Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Fox report added.
- In one such post in early December 2025, prosecutors said Sturdivant shared an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with on-screen text stating, “May Allah curse the cross worshipers.”
- The post was described by the Attorney’s Office as being consistent with ISIS’s historic practice of calling for the extermination of non-believers, including Christians and Muslims who do not adhere to the group’s extremist ideology.
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