Handwritten Doc, Hammers: What FBI Found Inside House Of US Teenager Who Planned ‘ISIS-Inspired’ Attack On New Year’s Eve

New Delhi: With the arrest of 18-year-old youth, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday thwarted a "potential terrorist attack" inspired by ISIS on New Year's Eve in North Carolina at a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant in Mint Hill. 

Christian Sturdivant, who was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS), had planned to attack people at a grocery store and a Burger King fast-food restaurant. The plot was foiled after investigators gathered evidence of Christian's plans, including online messages and a search of his home.

Attack bid thwarted

According to reports, the investigation began last month after the FBI linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supportive of IS, including imagery that appeared to promote violence. The account's display name referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group, ISIS.

The attack bid was thwarted after Sturdivant, who was on the FBI's radar since 2022, reached out to who he thought was a member of ISIS - but was an undercover agent with the New York Police Department (NYPD). 

During the investigation, the employee reported Christian's intentions to attack people with knives and hammers, leading to a search of his home and the discovery of a manifesto detailing the planned attack.

Sturdivant during the conversation pledged his allegiance to ISIS and disclosed his plans to "do jihad soon". He further went specific with his plan after he met another undercover agent of FBI- who the teenager thought was an ISIS participant. 

Handwritten document, hammers seized

The suspect, Christian Sturdivant's online messages and search history revealed his plans to attack a Burger King restaurant and an unnamed grocery store in Mint Hill, a bedroom community of Charlotte.

The FBI, while searching the teenager's home on December 29, found a handwritten document titled “New Years Attack 2026,” which allegedly discussed plans to stab up to 20 victims and attack responding police officers. The note also revealed the suspect's desire to die a martyr and take down as many people as possible.

Agents seized hammers and knives from his bedroom, according to a Justice Department statement, which cited information in a criminal complaint. 

Sturdivant was allegedly planning to wear a Kevlar vest and use knives and hammers to attack people at a grocery store and fast food restaurant. 

In Radar Since 2022

Christian Sturdivant had previously come to the attention of the investigating agencies in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned he had been in contact with a suspected IS member in Europe. He had been instructed to dress in black, knock on people's doors, and commit attacks with a hammer. At the time, Christian set out for a neighbour's house armed with a hammer and a knife but was restrained by his grandfather. He underwent psychological treatment and was barred from accessing social media.

The FBI, worried that Christian might attempt violence before New Year's Eve, placed him under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas. The agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons. He was eventually arrested on Wednesday and remains in custody.

Federal Custody

Sturdivant, who made his first appearance in court in Charlotte and is currently in federal custody, pending a hearing on Jan. 7, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. 

He faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison, but officials said the sentence will depend on several factors.

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