The collaborative efforts of the FBI and local law enforcement successfully thwarted a potential terrorist threat in North Carolina, as announced by the FBI’s Charlotte office and the US Attorney’s Office on Friday.

Authorities revealed that 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant was influenced by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to orchestrate an attack.

Investigators reported that Sturdivant intended to carry out a deadly assault using knives and hammers at a grocery store and fast-food outlet in Mint Hill during New Year’s Eve celebrations. Concerns that he might act sooner prompted the FBI to maintain round-the-clock surveillance over the holiday period, including Christmas, according to Russ Ferguson, the U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina.

While the exact businesses targeted remain undisclosed, court records suggest Sturdivant, who worked at a local Burger King, might have considered nearby establishments.

The probe into Sturdivant’s activities commenced when he was still a minor in January 2022. He allegedly communicated with a mysterious ISIS affiliate who instructed him to dress in black and assault individuals by knocking on their doors.

That month, Sturdivant allegedly dressed in all black and left his house with the plan to kill his neighbor with a knife and hammer. However, his grandfather was able to stop him and bring him back to the house. This came after Sturdivant pledged “Bayat,” a loyalty oath to ISIS, before the attempted attack.

Following this incident, his grandfather reportedly took the weapons away from Sturdivant, and he was kept from social media. Sturdivant’s grandfather was his legal guardian at the time and is a minister at an unnamed church in Charlotte.

On Dec. 18, 2025, FBI Charlotte was alerted that Sturdivant was making social media posts supporting ISIS.

Officials say this came after Sturdivant contacted an undercover law enforcement officer, whom he thought was an ISIS member, on Dec. 12. Sturdivant reportedly said, “I will do jihad soon,” stating that he was “a soldier of the state,” in reference to ISIS.

On Dec. 14, Sturdivant allegedly sent the undercover officer a photo of two hammers and a knife. He is accused of later sharing his plan to attack a specific grocery store that is part of a national chain, claiming he was also going to buy a gun to help.

On Dec. 19, Sturdivant is accused of sending the undercover officer a voice recording, again pledging Bayat.

On Dec. 29, Sturdivant’s Mint Hill home was searched with a warrant, where authorities say they found handwritten documents with his alleged plan to stab up to 20 or 21, a list of what materials he would need and his hopes of dying as a martyr.

Despite previous reports that the weapons had been taken from Sturdivant, officials say they found under his bed two hammers and two butcher knives. Sturdivant was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

He remained in custody on New Year’s Eve. His first court appearance was on Friday.

“Americans deserve to celebrate New Year’s Eve without worrying about their personal safety,” said Ferguson. “That is why we worked non-stop to thwart this alleged violent terrorist attack. I am proud of the work done here and thankful for the time spent by law enforcement away from their families during the holidays to ensure public safety.”

Sturdivant just turned 18 years old in December and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.

The FBI in Los Angeles last month announced the disruption of a separate New Year’s Eve plot, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group who federal officials said planned to bomb multiple sites in southern California.

Other ISIS-inspired attacks over the past decade include a 2015 shooting rampage by a husband-and-wife team who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.