The FBI said in December 2025 it disrupted a New Year’s Eve plot targeting a grocery store and fast-food restaurant in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old man who authorities say pledged loyalty to the Islamic State group. Christian Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Investigators said he told an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant about his plans to attack people. Their online messages, along with a recent search of his home, indicated attacks would occur with knives and hammers, according to prosecutors and records.
Worried Sturdivant might attempt violence before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas, U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said. Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons, Ferguson said at a news conference in Charlotte. “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”
The note also said he would attack arriving officers and “hoped to die by the hands of police.” Ferguson said the attack was to take place in Mint Hill, a bedroom community of Charlotte.
The affidavit said a database check indicated Sturdivant worked at Burger King in Mint Hill. It wasn’t clear if that was the same restaurant cited in the note. Ferguson declined to identify the targeted businesses, citing the ongoing investigation. If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents.
The fact that Sturdivant encountered two undercover officers while allegedly planning the attack should reassure the public, Ferguson said. The affidavit says the investigation began last month after authorities 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.