FBI stopped what looks like an ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve terror attack. The agency posted on X about the action on Friday.
They said there were multiple planned New Year’s Eve terror attacks this year, but all were stopped.
The suspect in this case was an 18-year-old boy who had been on the FBI’s radar for years.
The Charlotte FBI office posted to X, “The #FBI and our law enforcement partners thwarted a potential terrorist attack on New Year’s Eve in North Carolina. The subject was directly inspired to act by ISIS. The @USAO_WDNC and FBI Special Agent in Charge will announce details at an 11:30 am news conference in Charlotte.”
He was targeting a North Carolina grocery store and a fast food restaurant.
After years of open borders, the terrorists are here. Thank US politicians for this, especially open borders Democrats.
Hopefully, the FBI didn’t lure him in and encourage him. It’s a fine line:
The FBI says it moved quickly to stop a jihad-style terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve by an ISIS sympathizer.
The suspect allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS to an undercover officer posing as a member of the group.
A second undercover FBI agent, also posing as ISIS,… pic.twitter.com/c1w6qSDHzF
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) January 2, 2026
A press release by the Justice Department includes the following details:
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.
The criminal complaint alleges that on or about December 12, 2025, Sturdivant began communicating with an online covert employee, or “OC,” whom Sturdivant thought was an ISIS member. Sturdivant told the OC, “I will do jihad soon,” and proclaimed he was “a soldier of the state,” meaning ISIS. On December 14, 2025, Sturdivant allegedly sent an online message to the OC with an image of two hammers and a knife.
This is significant because an article in the 2016 issue of ISIS’s propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terror attacks in Western countries. The same article inspired actual attacks in other countries. Later, Sturdivant told the OC that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina. Sturdivant also told the OC about his plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack, according to the arrest affidavit.
In addition, on December 19, 2025, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC a voice recording of Sturdivant pledging “Bayat,” a loyalty oath to ISIS.
On December 29, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at Sturdivant’s residence, where they discovered handwritten documents, one of which was titled “New Year’s Attack 2026.” The document listed items such as a vest, mask, tactical gloves, and two knives, allegedly to be used in the attack. It also described a goal of stabbing as many civilians as possible, with the total number of victims to be as high as 20 to 21. The note also included a section labeled as “martyrdom op,” that described a plan to attack police responding to the site of the attack so Sturdivant would die a martyr.
The complaints allege that Sturdivant lived with a relative, who secured knives and hammers away so Sturdivant could not use them for harm. Yet, law enforcement seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a blue hammer, a wooden handled hammer, and two butcher knives, which appeared hidden underneath the defendant’s bed. These items appear to be the same as the ones depicted in the online message Sturdivant previously sent to the OC.
Law enforcement also seized from Sturdivant’s bedroom a list of targets, as well as tactical gloves and a vest, acquired as part of the defendant’s planned attack.
Sturdivant remains in federal custody. If convicted, Sturdivant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine the ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.