Pakistani National Charged For Plotting Terrorist Attack In New York City In Support Of ISIS

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Christopher Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a/k/a “Shahzeb Jadoon,” was arrested on September 4, 2024 in Canada in connection with a Complaint filed in the Southern District of New York charging KHAN with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (“ISIS”).  As alleged in the Complaint, KHAN, who resided in Canada, attempted to travel from Canada to New York City, where he intended to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York plans to seek the extradition of KHAN from Canada. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Khan attempted to travel to the United States to carry out a terrorist attack and murder as many Jewish people as possible, all in support of ISIS.  Khan’s alleged crimes are a vivid reminder that we must remain vigilant in the fight against antisemitism and terror.  Thanks to our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors of this Office, Khan’s alleged plan was disrupted before he reached the United States.  Let this be a reminder to anyone who seeks to harm our community:  This Office will stop at nothing to root you out and bring you to justice.”

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7^th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible.  Thanks to the investigative work of the FBI, and the quick action of our Canadian law enforcement partners, the defendant was taken into custody.  As I said to Canada’s Minister of Public Safety yesterday, we are deeply grateful to our Canadian partners for their critical law enforcement actions in this matter. Jewish communities – like all communities in this country – should not have to fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack.  The Justice Department will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners to aggressively counter the threat posed by ISIS and other terrorist organizations and their supporters.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray said: “The defendant was allegedly determined to kill Jewish people here in the United States, nearly one year after Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel.  This investigation was led by the FBI and I am proud of the terrific work by the FBI team and our partners to disrupt Khan's plan.  The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to commit violence in the name of ISIS or other terrorist organizations.  Fighting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority.”

Acting FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “Terrorism has no place in our society, and today’s arrest sends a powerful message: if you attempt to provide support to ISIS or any terrorist group, the FBI will bring you to justice.  This case underscores the commitment of our Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York City, whose extraordinary and often unnoticed efforts continue to prevent deadly plots before they can be carried out.  Our partners are on the front lines every day, united to protect our nation from those who threaten our safety and way of life.”

As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today:[1]

KHAN, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS in or about November 2023, when, among other things, KHAN distributed ISIS propaganda videos and literature.  Subsequently, KHAN began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the “UCs”).  During those conversations, KHAN confirmed that he and a U.S.-based associate (“Associate-1”) had been planning to carry out an attack in a particular U.S. city (“City-1”).  Among other things, KHAN said that he had been actively attempting to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” in City-1 using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”  During subsequent conversations, KHAN repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified the specific locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place.  KHAN also provided details about how he would cross the border from Canada into the U.S. to conduct the attacks.  During these conversations with the UCs, KHAN emphasized that “Oct 7th and oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” because “oct 7 they will surely have some protests and oct 11 is yom.kippur.”

On or about August 20, 2024, KHAN changed his target location from City-1 to New York City.  After initially suggesting certain neighborhoods in New York City to the UCs, KHAN decided to target Location-1, a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, New York.  KHAN told the UCs that he planned to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024—which KHAN recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist attacks in Israel by Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, which, on October 7, 2023, launched a wave of violent, large-scale terrorist attacks in Israel.  In support of his choice of New York City as his target location, KHAN boasted that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america” and therefore, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.”  KHAN proclaimed that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and sent a photograph of the specific area inside of Location-1 where he planned to carry out the attack. 

Thereafter, KHAN continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other equipment for his attack, including “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.”  KHAN repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, and continued planning for the attack, including by identifying rental properties close to Location-1 and paying for a human smuggler to help him reach and cross the border from Canada into the U.S.  During one communication, KHAN noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”

On or about September 4, 2024, as KHAN said he planned to do in connection with his attack, KHAN attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border.  To do so, KHAN traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada towards the United States, before he was stopped in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.

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KHAN, 20, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The potential maximum sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the FBI Field Offices in Chicago and Los Angeles, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Counterterrorism Section.