By Mobi Roller 
Mint Hill, North Carolina, United States
News Desk | National Security
Federal authorities arrested 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant of Mint Hill, North Carolina, and disrupted an alleged Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve, the Department of Justice and FBI announced Friday. Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization after plans to attack a grocery store and fast-food restaurant were uncovered, officials said.
According to a criminal complaint filed Dec. 31 and unsealed Friday, Sturdivant had been planning the assault for about a year, inspired by ISIS ideology and online contacts tied to the group. FBI agents arrested him just before he was released from a medical facility and found handwritten notes and weapons at his home detailing the plot, prosecutors said.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Justice Department press release that the bureau’s collaboration with local and federal partners prevented a “horrific terrorist attack” that could have resulted in mass casualties. U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson for the Western District of North Carolina said Sturdivant’s plans included using knives and hammers to target civilians in what was described as an attack in support of ISIS.
Investigators allege Sturdivant communicated with undercover FBI and New York Police Department agents he believed were ISIS associates, sharing details of his intentions and outlining logistical specifics of the planned violence. During a search of his residence, authorities recovered a document titled “New Years Attack 2026” along with weapons, the affidavit states.
Officials said Sturdivant first drew the FBI’s attention in 2022 as a minor after online contact with an overseas ISIS member prompted intervention by family and referral for psychological care. After renewed online activity linked to a pro-ISIS social media account, investigators resumed monitoring him late last year.
Sturdivant made his initial federal court appearance in Charlotte and remains in custody. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. Law enforcement did not disclose the names of the targeted businesses due to the ongoing investigation.
The disruption of this ISIS-inspired plot underscores continuing concerns about self-radicalized individuals leveraging widely accessible weapons and online radicalization channels to plan attacks on soft targets.
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