An 18-year-old allegedly planned a terror attack for New Year’s Eve in a town near Charlotte, North Carolina, the FBI said Friday.
Federal agents arrested Christian Sturdivant on Dec. 31. The FBI said he planned to attack a Burger King and a grocery story in Mint Hill, a bedroom community just outside Charlotte.
“Sturdivant planned a massacre,” said the FBI’s James Barnacle, the special agent in charge for the FBI in Charlotte.
Sturdivant, who turned 18 in December, has been charged with attempted material support of a foreign terrorist organization. He could face up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
“This investigation unfolded quickly,” Barnacle said. He said Sturdivant had been on the FBI’s radar since 2022, but the investigation into this plot took place over about two weeks during the holidays.
He planned to attack New Year’s Eve shoppers with two hammers and two knifes that investigators found hidden under his bed, according to court records.
The planning came to light when Sturdivant began chatting online with someone he thought was an ISIS member but was in fact an undercover agent with the New York Police Department, according to U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson.
Sturdivant began chatting with the undercover officer on Dec. 12, according to court records.
He then also communicated with a second undercover agent with the FBI, Ferguson said.
“We had to act quickly,” he said. Sturdivant had been planning the attack for a year, the U.S. Attorney said.
“Americans deserve to celebrate New Year’s Eve without worrying about their personal safety,” Ferguson said. “That is why we worked non-stop to thwart this alleged violent terrorist attack. I am proud of the work done here and thankful for the time spent by law enforcement away from their families during the holidays to ensure public safety.”
A chorus of high ranking federal officials praised investigators.
“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 in a news release. “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.”
“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,” FBI Director Kash Patel said.
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Charles Duncan
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