A potential New Year’s Eve terror attack was thwarted in North Carolina, authorities announced Friday.
An 18-year-old suspect is under arrest and had been planning the attack for about a year, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson told reporters during a news conference.
The suspect, identified as Christian Sturdivant, allegedly planned to use knives and hammers in the attack, Ferguson said. When the FBI executed a search warrant at his home, investigators found those weapons hidden under his bed and notes detailing his alleged plans for the attack, Ferguson said.
The FBI’s field office in Charlotte, North Carolina, said the suspect was “directly inspired” by ISIS.
The suspect allegedly told an undercover FBI agent who he thought was involved with ISIS that he planned to attack a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in Mint Hill, North Carolina, which is located outside Charlotte.
“He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die,” Ferguson said.
FBI Special Agent James Barnacle Jr., who’s in charge of the bureau’s field office in North Carolina, told reporters the suspect is a U.S. citizen. He first came on the FBI’s radar in January 2022 when he was allegedly in contact over social media with an unidentified ISIS member who told him to dress in black, knock on people’s doors and attack them with a hammer, Barnacle said.
Following that alleged conversation, the suspect left his home dressed in black with a hammer, but his family intervened, Barnacle said. No charges were filed, and he underwent psychological care.
The FBI was told the suspect no longer had access to social media, but the Charlotte field office learned last month he was back on social media, Barnacle said. The suspect was identified as the alleged holder of a TikTok account with multiple posts in support of ISIS.
The suspect was arrested on New Year’s Eve and made his initial appearance in federal court Friday morning, Ferguson said. He has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Friday’s announcement comes less than three weeks after officials in Southern California charged four members of a far-left anti-government group for allegedly planning a series of bomb attacks on New Year’s Eve.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
