Executive Summary
- Christian Sturdivant, 18, was arrested for allegedly attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
- Prosecutors claim the suspect planned an ISIS-inspired attack on a North Carolina grocery store using hammers and knives.
- The FBI utilized undercover agents posing as ISIS members to gather evidence of the plot.
- Authorities reportedly seized a manifesto detailing plans for a massacre targeting up to 21 victims.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced on Friday the arrest of an 18-year-old North Carolina man accused of planning a terrorist attack targeting civilians on New Year’s Eve. Christian Sturdivant faces federal charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization after allegedly devising a plot inspired by the Islamic State group to attack a grocery store and restaurant in Mint Hill, North Carolina.
According to Russ Ferguson, the United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, the investigation initiated when Sturdivant engaged in online communications with individuals he believed were affiliates of ISIS. Ferguson stated that these contacts were actually undercover FBI agents. The inquiry reportedly intensified when the suspect met with a second undercover agent in person, at which point he allegedly articulated specific plans for the assault.
Prosecutors allege that Sturdivant intended to use knives and hammers to attack shoppers preparing for holiday celebrations. Officials stated that the suspect planned to die during the confrontation as a "martyr" via law enforcement intervention. Arrest records indicate that Sturdivant sent undercover agents a photograph displaying two hammers and a knife, and he purportedly expressed an intent to purchase a firearm to facilitate the attack.
James Barnacle, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Charlotte field office, reported that a multi-state task force spent weeks tracking the suspect to ensure public safety. Barnacle disclosed that investigators had previously attempted to have Sturdivant involuntarily committed to a mental health facility due to threats he made against himself and others, but those legal efforts were unsuccessful. A subsequent search of Sturdivant’s home reportedly uncovered a manifesto detailing plans for a "massacre" with a target of up to 21 casualties.
Law enforcement officials noted that Sturdivant has been a subject of FBI interest since 2022, when he was 14 years old, following alleged contact with an actual ISIS member who advised him on attack methods. Sturdivant made his initial court appearance on Friday, where no bail was set. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.
Investigative Outlook
This operation underscores the continued strategic reliance by federal law enforcement on undercover sting operations to identify and neutralize domestic threats motivated by foreign extremist ideologies. The fact that the suspect had been monitored since early adolescence highlights the significant challenges authorities face regarding youth radicalization and the procedural hurdles involved in preventive mental health interventions. As the legal process commences, the evidentiary weight will likely rest on the documented interactions between the suspect and undercover personnel. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
