ISIS-Inspired New Year’s Eve Attack Foiled In North Carolina, 18-Year-Old Arrested: FBI

Last Updated:January 03, 2026, 07:38 IST

Court records say the teen left a handwritten note spelling out an intended mass stabbing and a plan to confront police during the attack.

This photo released by the Gaston County Sheriff's Office shows Christian Sturdivant. (IMAGE: Gaston County Sheriff's Office via AP)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Friday it disrupted an ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting a grocery store and a fast-food outlet in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old man who authorities say intended to carry out a mass stabbing and die in a confrontation with police.

Christian Sturdivant has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. Prosecutors said he pledged loyalty to the Islamic State and shared his plans with an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant.

According to court records and investigators, Sturdivant discussed plans to carry out attacks using knives and blunt weapons. Authorities said the online conversations, combined with a search of his home, showed an imminent threat.

Fearing the suspect could act before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance for several days, including on Christmas, US Attorney for Western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.

“Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons," Ferguson told reporters in Charlotte. “At no point was the public in harm’s way."

Sturdivant was arrested on Wednesday and remained in custody after a federal court appearance on Friday. His attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Another hearing is scheduled for January 7.

Investigators said searches of Sturdivant’s phone and residence uncovered what they described as a handwritten manifesto outlining his plans. FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle said the suspect was prepared to die during the attack.

“He was willing to sacrifice himself," Barnacle said.

According to the FBI affidavit, a handwritten note recovered from a trash can at Sturdivant’s home explicitly outlined his intent to carry out a mass stabbing. The note stated his goal was to “stab as many civilians as possible," listed an expected number of victims, and said he planned to attack responding police officers in the hope of dying during the assault. Investigators said the note framed the planned violence as retaliation for attacks and airstrikes against Muslims in Syria.

Authorities said the attack was to take place in Mint Hill, a suburb of Charlotte. A database check showed Sturdivant worked at a Burger King in the area, though officials declined to confirm whether that was one of the specific targets named in the note, citing the ongoing investigation.

If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison.

The affidavit said the investigation began last month after authorities linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supporting IS, including imagery promoting violence. The account referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group.

The FBI said Sturdivant had previously come to its attention in January 2022, when he was a minor, after communicating with a suspected IS supporter in Europe. At the time, he allegedly attempted to carry out an attack but was stopped by a family member. He later underwent psychological treatment, and officials believed he no longer had access to social media.

Federal authorities said they discovered weeks ago that he had returned to online platforms.

The case comes amid heightened concern over lone-actor attacks inspired by extremist ideology. Officials have said such groups often function as a brand, motivating individuals to act independently even without direct operational support.

(with inputs from NBC News and the Associated Press)

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