News

FBI thwarts ISIS follower's planned New Year's Day attack

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 2, 2026

An 18-year-old Mint Hill man who allegedly planned to use knives and hammers to carry out a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of ISIS has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced on Friday.

The criminal complaint was filed on New Year’s Eve and unsealed after the accused, Christian Sturdivant, appeared in federal court in Charlotte on Friday.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, joined Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to allegations in the arrest affidavit, on Dec. 18, the FBI in Charlotte received information that an individual later identified as Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. In early December, Sturdivant posted an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with the on-screen text that read, “May Allah curse the cross worshipers.”

The post was allegedly consistent with ISIS’s rhetoric calling for the extermination of all non-believers, including Christians, Jews and Muslims who do not agree with ISIS’s extreme ideology.
The criminal complaint alleges that on or about Dec. 12, Sturdivant began communicating with an online covert employee, or “OC,” whom Sturdivant thought was an ISIS member. Sturdivant told the OC, “I will do jihad soon,” and proclaimed he was “a soldier of the state,” meaning ISIS. Two days later, Sturdivant allegedly sent an online message to the OC with an image of two hammers and a knife. This is significant because an article in the 2016 issue of ISIS’s propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terror attacks in western countries. The same article inspired actual attacks in other countries. Later, Sturdivant told the OC that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina. Sturdivant also told the OC about his plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack, according to the arrest affidavit.
In addition, on Dec. 19, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC a voice recording of himself pledging “Bayat,” a loyalty oath to ISIS.
On Dec. 29, law officers conducted a search warrant at Sturdivant’s residence, where they discovered handwritten documents, one of which was titled “New Years Attack 2026.”
The document listed items such as a vest, mask, tactical gloves and two knives allegedly to be used in the attack. It also described a goal of stabbing as many civilians as possible, with the total number of victims to be as high as 20 to 21. The note also included a section labeled as “martyrdom op,” that described a plan to attack police responding to the site of the attack so Sturdivant would die a martyr.
The complaint alleges that Sturdivant lived with a relative, who secured knives and hammers away so Sturdivant could not use them for harm. Yet, law officers seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a blue hammer, a wooden handled hammer, and two butcher knives which were hidden underneath the defendant’s bed. These items appear to be the same as the ones depicted in the online message Sturdivant previously sent to the OC. Officers also seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a list of targets, as well as tactical gloves and a vest, acquired as part of the defendant’s planned attack.
If convicted, Sturdivant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
“This successful collaboration between federal and local law enforcement saved American lives from a horrific terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “The Department of Justice remains vigilant in our pursuit of evil ISIS sympathizers — anyone plotting to commit such depraved attacks will face the full force of the law.”

“The accused allegedly wanted to be a soldier for ISIS and made plans to commit a violent attack on New Year’s Eve in support of that terrorist group, but the FBI and our partners put a stop to that,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “It is essential to work closely with our law enforcement partners and to quickly share information about potential threats, as demonstrated in this case. The message from the FBI is clear—anyone who supports ISIS or other terrorist groups cannot hide and will be held accountable in our justice system.”

“Americans deserve to celebrate New Year’s Eve without worrying about their personal safety,” Ferguson said. “That is why we worked non-stop to thwart this alleged violent terrorist attack. I am proud of the work done here and thankful for the time spent by law enforcement away from their families during the holidays to ensure public safety.”
“Christian Sturdivant allegedly swore allegiance to an international terrorist organization and plotted deadly attacks in its name,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “But the New York City Police Department has a long reach, and our undercover cybersecurity investigators once again identified threats of extremist behavior and thwarted them before they could be carried out. Public safety knows no borders, and we will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and hold accountable anyone who seeks to spread fear and violence.”
“Now more than ever, partnerships between law enforcement agencies are paramount,” Mint Hill Police Chief Joseph Hatley said. “This disruption is a testament to all involved, working as one to thwart an attack and hold accountable anyone planning such a horrific act of violence against our community.”