Mint hills: The U.S. Department of Justice announced the thwarting of a New Year's Eve knife and hammer attack plot orchestrated by a group influenced by the Islamic State (IS).
According to Thai News Agency, 18-year-old Christian Sterdivant from Mint Hills, North Carolina, has been charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. FBI agents conducted a search of his residence, uncovering handwritten documents that detailed plans for a New Year's Eve attack in 2026. The documents outlined intentions to stab up to 20 people and assault police officers. Several hammers and knives were also seized from his bedroom.
The indictment reveals that Mr. Sturdivant had been planning the attack for approximately a year. He engaged in online conversations last December with FBI agents and New York City police undercover officers, whom he believed to be ISIS collaborators. During these interactions, he shared photographs of two hammers, a knife, and his detailed plans for the attack.
The Western District Attorney of North Carolina disclosed during a press conference that Mr. Sterdivant had declared allegiance to ISIS. He planned to target grocery stores and fast-food restaurants in his hometown, with the intention of committing acts of violence that would result in the loss of innocent lives. His arrest took place on December 31, 2025, and he appeared in court for his initial hearing yesterday. Law enforcement officials noted that the FBI had been monitoring him since 2022, when he was a juvenile, due to his connections with ISIS members abroad and his plans to execute attacks using a hammer. At that time, he was not charged but was sent for psychiatric treatment.