FBI Foils ISIS-Inspired NYE Attack

An 18-year-old Burger King worker from North Carolina was “prepared for death” as he plotted a New Year’s Eve terrorist attack on a local grocery store and fast food joint in which he planned to maim at least 19 people, officials alleged Friday.

Christian Sturdivant, of Mint Hill outside Charlotte, was arrested Wednesday before he was able to carry out his murderous, ISIS-inspired scheme, US Attorney Russ Ferguson told reporters during a news conference.

Sturdivant was foiled after speaking online with two separate undercover law enforcement officials — one NYPD cop and one FBI agent — who he believed were ISIS collaborators, the prosecutor said.

The suspect — who first allegedly attempted a terror attack at age 14 — had been barred from being online since 2022, but began posting multiple TikTok videos in support of the terror group starting Dec. 18, according to FBI Charlotte special agent in charge James Barnacle.

The feds then opened an investigation and began round-the-clock surveillance of Sturdivant in the two weeks leading up to his arrest.

“I want guns,” the suspect also said, ultimately agreeing to send $500 to $600 to the agent in exchange for a firearm he would collect a couple of days before his planned ambush, according to the affidavit.

Equipped with a Kevlar vest, knives, and hammers, Sturdivant planned to attack his targets when they were crowded with patrons preparing to celebrate the arrival of 2026, Ferguson went on.

Two butcher knives and two hammers were found under the suspect’s bed, along with a written manifesto “where he detailed this attack,” according to the US attorney.

A hand-written document titled “The New Year’s Eve Attack 2026” was found in Sturdivant’s bedroom trash can and included a section labeled, “martyrdom Op,” court papers claim.

In that screed, Sturdivant said he planned to attack police once they arrived on scene, dying a martyr for his twisted cause.

Another scrawl found in the bin was titled “Manifesto of Jihad,” the filing alleges.

The papers detailed a “Plan A,” or “Burger King Jihad,” and a “Plan B,” or “grocery store Jihad,” the affidavit alleges. It wasn’t clear if Sturdivant was purportedly targeting the same Burger King where he was employed.

In the first plan, Sturdivant’s goal was to injure “8 or more,” and in the second plan, he wanted to injure “11 or more,” the filing claims, by attacking “vital spots” in his victims’ “bodys[sic].”

The suspect is charged with one count of attempted material support of ISIS and faces up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.

Sturdivant appeared in Charlotte federal court Friday morning and was held without bail.