CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The FBI announced on Friday that they successfully disrupted a New Year’s Eve attack plot in North Carolina, resulting in the arrest of an 18-year-old man, Christian Sturdivant, who allegedly pledged loyalty to the Islamic State group. Sturdivant has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Investigators reported that Sturdivant communicated with an undercover FBI employee, posing as a supportive confidant, to discuss plans for an attack targeting civilians at a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant. The messaging, along with a recent search of his home, suggested that he intended to use knives and hammers during the assaults, according to prosecutors and FBI records.
Due to concerns that Sturdivant might act on these violent intentions before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance, which included monitoring him on Christmas Day. Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina, stated that agents were ready to apprehend him should he leave his residence armed. Ferguson reassured the public by saying, “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”
Sturdivant was arrested on Wednesday and has since remained in custody following a federal court appearance on Friday. His attorney has not yet responded to requests for comments, and another hearing is scheduled for January 7. The planned attack coincides with the anniversary of a tragic incident in New Orleans, where 14 people were murdered by a U.S. citizen and Army veteran in support of the Islamic State group.
The FBI has a history of thwarting potential attacks through sting operations, where agents play the role of terror supporters by offering guidance or equipment to suspects. However, this method has faced criticism for potentially entrapping vulnerable individuals who may not have acted on their own. During the search of Sturdivant’s home and phone, investigators found what they described as a manifesto that detailed his plans for the attack, according to James Barnacle, the FBI Special Agent in Charge.
Barnacle noted that Sturdivant “was willing to sacrifice himself,” with a handwritten note discovered in a trash can outlining specific targets, including a Burger King and an unnamed grocery store in Mint Hill, a suburb of Charlotte. The note also indicated that Sturdivant planned to ambush responding officers and expressed a desire to die at their hands. Ferguson refrained from disclosing the names of the targeted establishments due to the ongoing investigation.
If convicted, Sturdivant could face up to 20 years in prison. Ferguson emphasized that the involvement of two undercover officers in the case should reassure the public about the FBI's proactive stance on preventing such attacks. The investigation began following authorities' discovery of Sturdivant’s social media account, which exhibited pro-ISIS content and violent imagery. This account referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the terrorist organization.
Sturdivant had previously drawn the attention of the FBI in January 2022, when he was identified as a minor who had communicated with a suspected ISIS member in Europe, receiving directives on how to conduct attacks. At that time, he attempted to assault a neighbor with a hammer and knife but was restrained by his grandfather. Although charges were not filed, Sturdivant underwent psychological treatment, and it was reported that he had lost access to social media. However, the FBI discovered he resumed online activity several weeks ago.
In a separate incident, the FBI also announced last month the disruption of another New Year’s Eve plot in Los Angeles, which involved members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group planning to bomb multiple locations in Southern California. Other attacks inspired by IS in recent years include a 2015 shooting spree in San Bernardino, California, that resulted in the deaths of 14 people and a 2016 massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where 49 individuals were killed.
