The FBI has arrested an 18-year-old Burger King worker from North Carolina who had been allegedly scheming a horrifying ISIS-inspired attack on New Year’s Eve.
The suspect, Christian Sturdivant, was arrested shortly before he could carry out the attack the New York Post reported.
Sturdivant, hailing from Mint Hill near Charlotte, was nabbed on Wednesday.
He’s accused of plotting a brutal jihadist assault on a local grocery store and fast food spot, targeting at least 19 innocent people as 2026 dawned.
U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson told reporters during a news conference that the would-be attack was “very well-planned.”
Prosecutors revealed how this disturbing plot came to light.
Back in 2022, Sturdivant was banned from using the Internet following his first attempt at a terror attack.
At just 14 years old, Sturdivant tried to attack a neighbor with a hammer and knife, only to be restrained by his grandfather.
Following that incident, his family sought psychiatric help for him and restricted his Internet access while securing potential weapons.
Yet, authorities claim he was later radicalized online.
He ended up consuming ISIS propaganda and connecting with dangerous sympathizers in digital chat rooms.
By December 18, 2025, Sturdivant was posting pro-ISIS content on TikTok.
The posts quickly drew law enforcement’s scrutiny.
For two weeks, the FBI maintained constant surveillance.
They observed as he interacted with undercover agents from the NYPD and FBI, whom he thought were ISIS allies.
In these conversations, he allegedly voiced a readiness to die and arranged to pay $500 to $600 for a firearm to use in his scheme.
When agents moved in, they discovered a Kevlar vest, butcher knives, and hammers hidden under his bed, along with handwritten plans for violence.
Documents like “The New Year’s Eve Attack 2026” detailed a so-called martyrdom mission.
In addition, a “Manifesto of Jihad” outlined attacks on a Burger King or grocery store to harm at least 8 or 11 people.
His writings also showed intent to target police responders, aiming to die as a supposed martyr for ISIS while attacking Americans, specifically naming Jews, Christians, and LGBTQ individuals during the holiday.
During the Friday press briefing, Ferguson asserted:
“He was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die.”
FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle added that Sturdivant “pledged himself to ISIS and committed himself to killing Americans on New Year’s Eve.”
It marks a grim parallel to last year’s deadly ISIS-inspired truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 on Bourbon Street.
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