FBI Foils ISIS-Inspired New Year's Eve Attack in North Carolina; 18-Year-Old Arrested

• FBI disrupted an ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting a grocery store and fast-food outlet in North Carolina.
• 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant was arrested, charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
• Sturdivant planned a mass stabbing, intending to attack police and die, as detailed in a handwritten manifesto.
• He pledged loyalty to ISIS and shared plans with an undercover FBI employee; the public was never in harm's way due to constant surveillance.
• Sturdivant had prior contact with FBI in 2022 for similar activities, underwent psychological treatment, but returned to online extremist platforms.

Why It Matters: FBI successfully thwarted an ISIS-inspired attack plot by an 18-year-old in North Carolina.