PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal authorities stopped an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve in Mint Hill, North Carolina.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Christian Sturdivant, 18, a U.S. citizen, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

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📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack was planned for New Year’s Eve at a grocery store and fast food restaurant in Mint Hill, North Carolina.

💬KEY QUOTE: “He was preparing for Jihad and innocent people were going to die.” – Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

🎯IMPACT: The attack was thwarted, preventing a potential national tragedy.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday announced that federal law enforcement prevented an Islamic State (ISIS) inspired terrorist attack against  New Year’s Eve revelers in Mint Hill, North Carolina. According to DOJ officials, Christian Sturdivant, an 18-year-old U.S. citizen, allegedly intended to carry out the attack using knives and hammers in the Charlotte suburb, after becoming radicalized online.

“He was preparing for Jihad and innocent people were going to die,” said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, during a press conference. Sturdivant reportedly intended to target Jews, Christians, and LGBTQ individuals, and aimed to become a “martyr” in the attack.

Additional details released by the DOJ indicate that Sturdivant first came to law enforcement’s attention in January 2022, at the age of 14, when he communicated with an overseas ISIS member who instructed him to attack people with a hammer. His family stopped him at the time, and he underwent psychological care without facing charges. Authorities later discovered he had resumed social media activity and began reading ISIS propaganda, creating TikTok videos, and pledging allegiance to ISIS.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and law enforcement agencies intervened after Sturdivant shared detailed plans with undercover agents, including locations for the attack and requests for firearms. A search of his residence revealed hammers, knives, and notes outlining his plans. Sturdivant was arrested on New Year’s Eve as he was being discharged from a medical facility.

“Without the swift action of the FBI, joint terrorism task force, New York City Police Department, the Mint Hill Police Department, and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, we could be announcing a national tragedy,” said James Barnacle, FBI Special Agent in Charge in Charlotte.

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