The Department of Justice shared the following information regarding a planned attack on 2026 New Years eve in North Carolina; “A Mint Hill man that allegedly planned to use knives and hammers to execute a deadly New Year’s Eve attack at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in support of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has been arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The criminal complaint was filed on December 31, 2025, and was unsealed today after Christian Sturdivant, 18, appeared in federal court in Charlotte.
James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
“This successful collaboration between federal and local law enforcement saved American lives from a horrific terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “It is essential to work closely with our law enforcement partners and to quickly share information about potential threats, as demonstrated in this case. The message from the FBI is clear—anyone who supports ISIS or other terrorist groups cannot hide and will be held accountable in our justice system.”
“As alleged, Sturdivant aspired to become a ‘martyr’ for ISIS and was in the final stages of planning a mass-casualty attack on New Year’s Eve. Notes recovered from his home appear to reflect intent to harm as many people as possible and terrorize the Nation,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “We commend the extraordinary work of our partners in neutralizing this threat.”
“Americans deserve to celebrate New Year’s Eve without worrying about their personal safety,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “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.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people, and this case demonstrates our dedication to do everything we can to protect the residents of North Carolina. We worked closely with the Department of Justice, NYPD, Mint Hill Police Department, and our FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force partners to investigate and disrupt this serious threat of a violent attack. We will never stop working to hold people accountable who seek to harm and terrorize our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Barnacle.
“Christian Sturdivant allegedly swore allegiance to an international terrorist organization and plotted deadly attacks in its name,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “But the New York City Police Department has a long reach, and our undercover cybersecurity investigators once again identified threats of extremist behavior and thwarted them before they could be carried out. Public safety knows no borders, and we will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue and hold accountable anyone who seeks to spread fear and violence.”
“Now more than ever, partnerships between law enforcement agencies are paramount,” said Chief Joseph Hatley of the Mint Hill Police Department. “This disruption is a testament to all involved, working as one to thwart an attack and hold accountable anyone planning such a horrific act of violence against our community.”
According to allegations in the arrest affidavit, on December 18, 2025, the FBI in Charlotte received information that an individual later identified as Sturdivant was making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. In early December 2025, Sturdivant posted an image depicting two miniature figurines of Jesus with the on-screen text that read, “May Allah curse the cross worshipers.” The post is allegedly consistent with ISIS’s rhetoric calling for the extermination of all non-believers, including Christians, Jews, and Muslims who do not agree with ISIS’s extreme ideology.”
View Full Release: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc/pr/fbi-disrupts-alleged-new-years-even-attack-man-charged-attempting-provide-material
God Bless our incredible Kash Patel led FBI and Pam Bondi led DOJ for preventing an attack on innocent American lives!
The #FBI thwarted a potential terrorist attack on New Year's Eve in North Carolina. The subject was directly inspired to act by ISIS. A federal criminal complaint alleges 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant planned a violent attack at a grocery store in Mint Hill. SAC Barnacle… pic.twitter.com/njn7XBQTAC
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) January 2, 2026
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 2, 2026
Breaking: Patel says FBI thwarted ISIS-inspired New Year's Eve attack in North Carolina https://t.co/MDYh5X5rQb
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) January 2, 2026
FBI Disrupts Alleged New Year’s Eve Attack, Man Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS https://t.co/AjolJrgdxd pic.twitter.com/uzdGzHHH7B
— FBI (@FBI) January 2, 2026
Potential ISIS-inspired attack disrupted.
Today’s announcement marks the second public instance in a matter of weeks where the FBI and LEO partners stepped in and stopped an alleged New Years Eve attacker before they could harm innocent people.
Thank you to our @FBI personnel… pic.twitter.com/yunPiEYCtx
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 2, 2026
STAY ALERT: FBI calls on the public to remain vigilant while announcing how an alleged ISIS-inspired terror attack on New Year's Eve was thwarted in North Carolina:
"We rely on the communities we serve and encourage the public to contact law enforcement when they see or hear… pic.twitter.com/wsVlSR8txb
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 2, 2026
January 2: FBI Counterintelligence Strategy
In 2025, the @FBI executed 85 arrests across our counterintelligence program, an over 40% increase from the same time last year.
– like active duty soldier Taylor Adam Lee who was charged with attempting to transmit classified…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 3, 2026
