FBI, DOJ says it thwarted a potentially ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve terror attack
FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday that his agency stopped what may have been an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack poised to take place on New Year’s Eve
by Summer Lane | January 2, 2026
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed this week that his agency thwarted what was “allegedly” a New Year’s Eve terror attack inspired by ISIS – a plot stemming from a single individual, officials said.
“Thanks to our great partners for working with us and undoubtedly saving lives,” Patel said in a statement.
During a press conference on Friday, officials revealed that the suspect in this alleged plot has been apprehended by law enforcement in North Carolina. They identified him as 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant.
“He’s been planning this attack for about a year,” officials alleged. “But he’s been planning AN attack for far longer than that. He was planning this attack in support of ISIS, and we have charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.”
According to the briefing, the investigation is ongoing. The suspect allegedly began reading about ISIS on the internet, officials said, and started going to ISIS websites and making TikToks.
The suspect reached out to what he thought was a member of ISIS online, but “in reality, it was an undercover agent with NYPD in New York.”
The suspect allegedly told this undercover agent that he would “do Jihad soon.”
Officials also alleged that the suspect was planning to carry out his attack on New Year’s Eve and was targeting “Jews, Christians, and LGBTQ individuals.”
“This successful collaboration between federal and local law enforcement saved American lives from a horrific terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on Friday.
She added, “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.”
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Sturdivant allegedly planned to use “knives and hammers to execute a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant” in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
They also included a series of screenshots from Sturdivant’s alleged social media accounts, painting a disturbing picture of meticulous planning linked to the potential attack, including photos of weapons allegedly found in the suspect’s bedroom, like hammers and knives.
Officials said that the suspect appeared in court Friday morning and that the case will proceed through the justice system.
Photo: Adobe Stock
