US authorities in North Carolina recently stopped a major tragedy just before New Year’s Eve. An 18-year-old named Christian Sturdivant, from a town called Mint Hill, was arrested and charged with trying to support the terror group ISIS.
FBI says it foiled 18-year-old’s ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve ‘terror attack’ in North Carolina https://t.co/nKFkG0gZXg pic.twitter.com/IembSHGcP0
— New York Post (@nypost) January 2, 2026
According to the Justice Department, Sturdivant was in the middle of planning a violent attack using knives and hammers. He planned to target a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant, hoping to injure as many people as possible. Federal officials unsealed the criminal complaint against him on 31st December 2025, after he made his first appearance in a Charlotte court.
This wasn’t the first time Sturdivant was on the radar of the FBI. Back in 2022, when he was just a young teenager, investigators found out he was talking to an ISIS contact overseas. At that time, instead of being charged, he was sent for psychological treatment.
The situation escalated recently when he started talking online with undercover agents who were pretending to be ISIS supporters. During these chats, he shared photos of weapons and talked about exactly where he wanted to strike. FBI Director Kash Patel pointed out that this case shows how important it is for different agencies to share information quickly to stop people who support terrorist groups.
When investigators searched Sturdivant’s home on 29th December, they found some scary evidence. He had handwritten notes titled “New Year’s Attack 2026” that explained his plan to stab up to 20 people and then go after the police officers who arrived at the scene.
From his bedroom, police found knives, hammers, tactical gloves, and a vest. Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said these notes proved he wanted to cause violence and fear as much as he could. US Attorney Russ Ferguson added that the teenager was preparing for what he called “jihad” and believed he was going to die as a martyr.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi credited the teamwork between local and federal police for saving American lives from a horrific situation. She made it clear that anyone plotting this kind of violence will be caught and prosecuted. Documents show that Sturdivant had been planning this for almost a year and even sent a formal oath of loyalty to ISIS on 19th December.
Now he is in federal custody and faces up to 20 years in prison if he is found guilty. The investigation involved the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, local police, and even the NYPD to make sure the threat was neutralised before anyone got injured.
