Federal agents arrested 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant after an undercover investigation uncovered alleged plans for a New Year’s Eve mass-casualty attack in Mint Hill, N.C., purportedly in support of ISIS. Agents say they recovered knives, hammers and a handwritten plan titled "New Years Attack 2026" that described targeting civilians and a "martyrdom" scheme. Officials credited interagency cooperation for foiling the plot; Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Foiled New Year’s Eve ISIS Plot: 18-Year-Old Arrested After Undercover Sting in North Carolina
Gaston County JailChristian Sturdivant
Federal authorities say they disrupted a planned New Year’s Eve attack in Mint Hill, North Carolina, after an undercover operation led to the arrest of 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant on charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
According to prosecutors, Sturdivant spent months consuming ISIS-related material online, created social media content referencing the group, and on Dec. 12 contacted someone he believed to be an ISIS member — an undercover NYPD agent — pledging allegiance and saying he intended to "do Jihad soon." Agents say he later discussed detailed plans with a second undercover operative he also thought was affiliated with ISIS.
Authorities say the alleged targets were everyday public locations in Mint Hill: a grocery store and a fast-food restaurant. Prosecutors contend Sturdivant described protective gear and weapons he planned to use, including a Kevlar vest and melee weapons such as knives and hammers.
When the FBI executed a search warrant at Sturdivant’s home on Dec. 29, agents reportedly found two hammers and two butcher knives hidden under his bed along with handwritten notes. One document, titled "New Years Attack 2026," allegedly listed items such as a vest, mask, tactical gloves and two knives and described an objective of stabbing as many civilians as possible — estimating up to 20–21 victims. The note also reportedly contained a section labeled "martyrdom op" that described a plan to attack responding officers so the attacker would die a martyr.
"He has been planning this attack for about a year... He was planning this attack in support of ISIS," U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said at a Jan. 2 press conference. "It was a very well planned, thoughtful attack... and we were very, very fortunate they did not (succeed)."
Department of Justice statements say Sturdivant also posted anti-Christian imagery in early December 2025 that prosecutors say mirrored ISIS rhetoric. Leaders from the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department credited coordinated work among federal, state and local partners — including the NYPD and the FBI — for preventing the attack.
"Anyone who supports ISIS or other terrorist groups cannot hide and will be held accountable in our justice system," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a DOJ release.
Sturdivant is being held in federal custody. If convicted on the charge of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, he faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. All allegations remain subject to proof in court.
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