FBI disrupts alleged ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting NC grocery store, fast food restaurant
Christian Sturdivant is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization
By Greg Norman Fox News
Published January 2, 2026 11:11am EST
FIRST ON FOX – The FBI disrupted an alleged plot to attack people inside a grocery store and fast food restaurant in North Carolina on New Year’s Eve in support of the Islamic State terrorist group, prosecutors revealed Friday.
Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill — a town outside Charlotte — was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.
"The FBI and our partners continued working 24/7 over the holidays protecting the American people, and this case out of Charlotte foiling another alleged New Years Eve attacker is the latest example of their tremendous work," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Our teams quickly identified the threat and acted decisively — no doubt saving American lives in the process. Thanks to our Joint Terrorism Task Force and regional partners both in New York and Western North Carolina for their efforts."
Prosecutors said the alleged plot was foiled after Sturdivant recently began communicating online with an individual he "believed to be affiliated with ISIS but in reality was a government online covert employee," who is referred to in a criminal complaint as "OC." In one of the communications on Dec. 14, Sturdivant allegedly sent the OC an image of two hammers and a knife.
"During his online communications with the OC, Sturdivant said, ‘I will do jihad soon,’ and proclaimed he was ‘a soldier of the state,’ meaning ISIS," the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
"In subsequent online communications with the OC, Sturdivant indicated that he planned to attack a specific grocery store in North Carolina and discussed plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack," it added.
Ferguson said during a press conference on Friday that the attack was planned to take place in Mint Hill and the suspect worked at a Burger King.
"He talked about where he was planning to do this attack, which was at a grocery store and a fast food restaurant in Mint Hill. Places that we go every day and don't think that we may be harmed," Ferguson added.
"He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die. And we were very, very fortunate they did not," Ferguson also said, later adding, "I can tell you from his notes he was targeting, Jews, Christians and LGBTQ individuals."
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