The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced it successfully prevented a planned terrorist attack in North Carolina, which was scheduled to take place on New Year's Eve. The alleged plot, inspired by the Islamic State (IS), targeted a grocery store and restaurant.
Suspect Arrested and Charged
Christian Sturdivant, an 18-year-old US citizen from Mint Hill near Charlotte, was arrested on 31 December. The arrest occurred as he was being released from a specialised medical facility. Federal prosecutors charged him with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.
US Attorney Russ Ferguson, for the western district of North Carolina, stated at a press conference that investigators believe Sturdivant had been planning the assault for approximately a year. A search of his home on 29 December uncovered knives and hammers hidden under his bed, alongside detailed notes outlining the intended massacre.
Online Radicalisation and Undercover Operation
Authorities confirmed that Sturdivant's radicalisation occurred primarily on Islamic State websites. He was found to be operating a TikTok account that posted multiple messages in support of the terrorist group. His online activity eventually led him to pledge allegiance to IS on a website, unknowingly communicating with an undercover officer from the New York Police Department.
FBI special agent James Barnacle explained that Sturdivant, believing the officer to be an ISIS affiliate, used various social media platforms to discuss his plans. "Over the course of December, he sent a picture of two hammers and a knife, a voice note pledging allegiance and a message requesting help obtaining guns to use in the attack," Barnacle said. The suspect also identified the specific grocery store he intended to target.
History of Concern and Psychological Care
Barnacle, who leads the FBI's Charlotte field office, revealed that Sturdivant was first known to the bureau in 2022, when he was just 14. At that time, he was found to be in contact via social media with an unidentified IS member overseas. That individual had instructed him to dress in black and attack people at their homes with a hammer.
Following that earlier incident, no charges were filed. Sturdivant's family intervened, and he was referred for psychological care and removed from social media, leading the FBI to close its initial investigation.
Christian Sturdivant made his initial court appearance on Friday morning and remains in federal custody. Prosecutors stated that if convicted, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal prison.
