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18-year-old ISIS sympathizer who allegedly planned New Year's Eve terror attack in North Carolina is arrested
A North Carolina man who allegedly planned to use knives and hammers for a New Year's Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of ISIS was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, federal officials said Friday.The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina said a criminal complaint was filed Wednesday and unsealed Friday after Christian Sturdivant appeared in federal court in Charlotte. Sturdivant turned 18 just two weeks ago, according to jail records.'May Allah curse the cross worshipers.'"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."FBI Director Kash Patel added that "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."The FBI in Charlotte on Dec. 18 received information that an individual later identified as Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, according to allegations in the arrest affidavit.Sturdivant in early December posted an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with on-screen text that read, "May Allah curse the cross worshipers," officials said. The post allegedly is consistent with ISIS rhetoric calling for the extermination of all non-believers, including Christians, Jews, and Muslims who do not agree with ISIS' extreme ideology.RELATED: 'Terrorist scum': Trump announces Christmas Day strikes in Nigeria in response to persecution of Christians Image source: Department of JusticeThe criminal complaint alleges that Sturdivant on or about Dec. 12 began communicating with an online covert employee, or "OC," whom Sturdivant believed was an ISIS member, officials said.Sturdivant told the OC, "I will do jihad soon" and proclaimed he was "a soldier of the state," meaning ISIS, officials said, adding that on Dec. 14, 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' propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terror attacks in Western countries, officials said, adding that the article inspired actual attacks in other countries. Later, Sturdivant told the OC that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina, officials said. 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.What's more, officials said Sturdivant on Dec. 19 allegedly sent the OC a voice recording of Sturdivant pledging "Bayat," which is a loyalty oath to ISIS.On Dec. 29, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Sturdivant's residence, where they discovered handwritten documents, one of which was titled "New Years Attack 2026," officials said.RELATED: FBI stops radical pro-Palestinian New Year’s Eve terror plot: Report Image source: Department of JusticeThe document listed items such as a vest, mask, tactical gloves, and two knives allegedly to be used in the attack, officials said, adding that 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," which described a plan to attack police responding to the site of the attack so Sturdivant would die a martyr, officials said.RELATED: Trans-identifying radicals among those arrested in alleged planned New Year’s Eve terror plot The complaint alleges that Sturdivant lived with a relative who secured knives and hammers so Sturdivant could not use them for harm, officials said. Yet, law enforcement seized from Sturdivant's bedroom a blue hammer, a wooden handled hammer, and two butcher knives which appeared hidden underneath the defendant's bed, officials said. These items appear to be the ones depicted in the online message Sturdivant previously sent to the OC, officials said.Law enforcement 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, officials said.Sturdivant remains in federal custody, officials said, adding that he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison if convicted. He was behind bars Friday night at the Gaston County Jail with no bond.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
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