A suspected terrorist was arrested in Canada on Wednesday, accused of planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, giving his support to ISIS, authorities said.
Identified as Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 20-year-old Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, who also goes by the name Shahzeb Jadoon, was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization.
He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
“The defendant was allegedly determined to kill Jews here in the United States, nearly a year after Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
“This investigation was led by the FBI and I am proud of the excellent work done by the FBI team and our partners in disrupting Khan’s scheme.”
The suspect was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on a warrant for aiding and abetting terrorism by supplying material to the interests of terrorism issued by the Southern District of New York.
“As alleged, Khan sought to travel to the United States to carry out a terrorist attack and murder as many Jews as possible, all in support of ISIS,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
“Khan’s alleged crimes are a vivid reminder that we must remain vigilant in the fight against antisemitism and terrorism.”
“Thanks to our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office, Khan’s alleged scheme was thwarted before he ever reached the United States. Let this serve as a reminder to anyone who seeks to harm our community: this Office will stop at nothing to root them out and bring them to justice,” Williams added.
Khan used encrypted messaging apps to plan the Brooklyn attack as early as November 2023, including distributing pro-ISIS propaganda, videos and literature, the Justice Department said in a statement.
Unbeknownst to him, he began communicating with two undercover agents, telling them that he and a partner in the United States wanted to create “a real offline cell” of ISIS supporters to carry out a “coordinated assault” using AR-style assault rifles, and that they planned to “attack Israeli Jewish chabads… scattered everywhere.”
He allegedly ordered undercover officers to stock up on AR-style weapons, ammunition and other supplies for the attack on the Big Apple, naming specific locations where the mass shootings would take place, Fox News reported.
He also asked the alleged undercover dealers to get “some good hunting knives so we can cut their throats.”
“October 7 and 11 are the best days to attack Jews” because “on October 7 there will surely be some protests and October 11 is Yom Kippur,” Khan reportedly said.
On August 20, Khan said he wanted to attack Brooklyn, New York, and spoke about a specific Jewish center.
“New York is perfect for attacking Jews” as it has the “largest Jewish population in the United States” and therefore “even if we don’t attack a [evento]“We could easily catch a lot of Jews,” Khan reportedly said, adding: “We are going to New York to slaughter them.”
He said in a statement: “If we are successful with our plan, this would be the largest attack on American soil since September 11.”
“Terrorism has no place in our society,” said Ron Kissane, special agent in charge of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, “adding, ‘This case underscores the commitment of our Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York City to continue to work aggressively to prevent plots before they can be carried out. ’”
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Khan had scheduled the attack for around October 7, 2024, the first anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel, “with the stated goal of massacring, in the name of ISIS, as many Jews as possible.”
“Jewish communities, like all communities in this country, should not have to fear being targeted by a hate-motivated terrorist attack,” Garland said.
“The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with our domestic and international partners to vigorously counter the threat posed by ISIS and other terrorist organizations and their supporters.”
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