FBI Foils ISIS-Inspired Attack Plot Targeting New Year Eve in North Carolina; Month-Long Investigation Leads to Arrest of 18-Year-Old
Key Points:
FBI busted an alleged ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve attack in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old suspect.
The boy was allegedly in contact with undercover agents posing as ISIS members and discussed carrying out the attack.
Handwritten notes outlining the planned attack were recovered, leading to federal terror-related charges.
US federal authorities have arrested an 18-year-old boy for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack that was planned to be executed on New Year’s Eve in North Carolina. They reported the arrest on Friday, 2 January 2026. The suspect is from Mint Hill and has been identified as Christian Sturdivant. Officials had been investigating the case for over a month, which led to the disruption of the planned attack even before its execution, and the suspect was taken into custody.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said online, “The FBI and our law enforcement partners thwarted a potential terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve in North Carolina. The subject was directly inspired to act by ISIS.” The efforts were congratulated by FBI Director Kash Patel, who applauded the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies that “undoubtedly saved lives.”
Sturdivant was instructed to dress in black and carry out the attack using knives and a hammer, according to federal prosecutors. The attack intentions were discussed by the 18-year-old with undercover law enforcement officers who were posing as extremists online, leading to the busting of the plan. Sturdivant confided in the undercover agents, believing them to be overseas members of ISIS.
The suspect had been tracked by the FBI since 2022, when he was still a minor, after he showed signs of extremist activities, officials revealed. US Attorney Russ Ferguson later said that the planning for the attack had been underway for nearly a year, adding, “He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die.”
It has also come to light that Sturdivant considered himself a “soldier of the state” and believed the planned New Year’s Eve attack was one of his duties. Law enforcement officers conducted a search at Sturdivant’s residence, where they found handwritten notes, one of which was titled “New Year’s Attack 2026.” The notes reportedly included a list of masks, knives, and other materials. They also contained details of the attack, outlining a plan to stab multiple people before being killed by police.
The teenager has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He remains in federal custody as investigations continue, having made his first appearance in federal court in Charlotte.
(SY)
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