NEW YORK: A Pakistani national living in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, was arrested for attempting to support ISIS and for planning a terrorist attack to take place in New York City.
In an attempt to carry out an attack in early October, he planned to target Jewish people for ISIS, according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the defendant was allegedly 'bent on' killing Jewish people in the United States, nearly a year to the date after the major attack by Hamas against Israel. He praised the work of the FBI and its partners in preventing the defendant's stated intentions from coming to fruition.
Wray said, "We will continue working with our partners to identify and bring to justice anyone attempting to perpetrate violence on behalf of ISIS or other similar terrorist organizations." He added that terrorism is still the No. 1 threat priority in the FBI.
The complaint alleges that, from Canada, Khan attempted to travel to New York City, for the purpose of carrying out an ISIS-inspired mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn.
Starting around November 2023, Khan began posting on his screen displays of support for ISIS on social media and through encrypted messaging, including by distributing ISIS propaganda. Eventually, he started communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers.
Khan repeatedly requested that the undercover officers procure AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials needed for the attacks.
He also named the places where the attacks could occur, and he further elaborated on his plan, describing how he crossed the border from Canada into the U.S. Khan said that the dates of October 7 and October 11 were the best days of the attack against the Jews, since on October 7 there was an anniversary attack by Hamas in Israel, and on October 11, it was Yom Kippur, which falls on the holiest day in the Jewish faith.
The Pakistani national is accused of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted on the charge, he would face a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. The actual sentence would be imposed by a federal judge, considering the advisory US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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