A North Carolina teenager who the FBI says planned to carry out aNew Year's Eveattack inspired by theIslamic Statewas on an agency watchlist for years before his arrest on Dec. 31.
Christian Sturdivant, an 18-year-old Burger King worker, was arrested and charged with plotting a "potential terrorist attack" on a grocery store and fast food restaurant in his suburban Charlotte hometown of Mint Hill, authoritiesannouncedon Jan. 2.
Sturdivant "pledged his loyalty to ISIS" and intended to become a martyr "to support the murder, torture andextreme violencethat ISIS represents," according to FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle.
Barnacle said that the North Carolina teen's affiliation with the extremist group represents "the very real threat posed by people who self-radicalize online."
It wasn't immediately clear if Sturdivant had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Here's what we know about Sturdivant.
More:FBI says it foiled 'potential terrorist attack' on New Year's Eve
What charges is Christian Sturdivant facing?
Sturdivant is charged with attempting to provide material support for a foreign terrorist organization. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, officials said.
"He was preparing for jihad and innocent people were going to die, and we are very, very fortunate they did not," said Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Was Christian Sturdivant known to authorities?
Sturdivant's arrest comes about three years after another alleged plot first landed him on an FBI watchlist.
In January 2022, Sturdivant first made online contact with a member of ISIS based in Europe, according to federal court filings in the Western District of North Carolina.
The ISIS member told Sturdivant to "dress all in black, knock on people's doors, and attack them with a hammer," a criminal complaint says. The teen left his house dressed in black to "kill his neighbor with a hammer and knife," but his grandfather restrained him and brought him home, court filings say.
Sturdivant underwent psychiatric care and had his social media access restricted, Barnacle said. Sturdivant's grandfather also secured knives that were in the home, he said.
Before the attempted attack, Sturdivant pledged "Bayat," or oath of allegiance, to ISIS, according to the FBI.
The United States
launched airstrikes in Nigeria against Islamic State militants on Christmas Day after President
Donald Trump threatened in November to go into the country "guns-a-blazing" over what he called a
"mass slaughter" of Christians.
See the impact on residents, who inspect the damage in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria. " style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
See the impact of Trump's Christmas Day airstrikes in Nigeria
The United Stateslaunched airstrikes in Nigeriaagainst Islamic State militants on Christmas Day after PresidentDonald Trumpthreatened in November to go into the country "guns-a-blazing" over what he called a"mass slaughter" of Christians.See the impact on residents, who inspect the damage in Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria.
How did alleged New Year's Eve plot come about?
Sturdivant had been planning the alleged New Year's Eve plot for about a year and was planning to attack people with knives and hammers, Ferguson said.
Authorities say they became aware of the threat after Sturdivant − a "prolific poster" on social media − shared his plans online with FBI agents posing as ISIS supporters.
Among the evidence found by authorities under Sturdivant's bed: knives, hammers and notes detailing his plans, Ferguson said.
Social media account inspired by ISIS chief leader
FBI investigators tracking Sturdivant's online activities linked him to a social media account with the display name "Abu-Bakr-Al-Amriki," court filings say. The account published multiple posts showing support for ISIS.
The display name is an apparent homage to ISIS' leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who became infamous worldwide after he proclaimed himself caliph in 2014, led ISIS to capture large swathes of Iraq and Syria and imposed in the region a fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic Shari'a law to carry out mass killings.
Al-Amriki is Arabic for "the American" or "of America." The display name, FBI investigators say, signalled Sturdivant's aspirations to be an American al-Baghdadi.
Al-Baghdadi died by suicide in October 2019 during a U.S. military operation.
What did Sturdivant say online?
The North Carolina teen repeatedly posted online in favor of ISIS and jihad, court filings show. Among his posts was a photo showing military-style gloves with a reference to a chapter of the Quran that refers to war with enemies of Islam, the records say.
Another post showed a ballistic vest with a caption reading: "Islam is on the rise. May Allah curse the crusade coalition." And in December, one of his posts showed two Jesus figurines and the caption: "May Allah curse the cross worshipers."
FBI agents became more directly involved after they say Sturdivant posted a photo that authorities interpreted as a signal that he would stage an attack around Christmas. The post was on Dec. 11.
"I will do jihad soon," the FBI says Sturdivant told undercover agents on Dec. 13. In other exchanges, the 18-year-old told agents that for a year he had been planning an attack in a public place on "Christian pagans and lgbtq."
There have been a few notable terrorist attacks during the holiday season, including a 2016 attack in Berlin that left 12 dead and dozens injured after a man drove a truck through a Christmas market. The driver, Anis Amri, hadpledged allegianceto ISIS.
Contributing by Jeanine Santucci
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who is Christian Sturdivant, teen terror suspect accused of NYE plot?
A North Carolina teenager who the FBI says planned to carry out aNew Year's Eveattack inspired by theIslamic Statewas...
