The DOJ and FBI said they foiled an alleged plot to attack a grocery store and fast food restaurant on New Year's Eve, arresting 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant.
Sturdivant allegedly planned to use knives and hammers in a deadly, ISIS-inspired attack at a fast food restaurant and grocery store. Officials said Sturdivant is a resident of Mint Hill, North Carolina.
FBI and DOJ officials claim that Sturdivant began consuming ISIS propaganda videos on social media and pledged his allegiance to ISIS, detailing his plans to undercover officers.
Officials said that he planned the attack for about a year in support of ISIS.
After serving a search warrant on his residence, officials said that investigators also found handwritten notes plotting the attacks. The notes had a goal of stabbing as many people as possible, the FBI said.
“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.”
He has been charged with producing material support to a terrorist organization.
