The FBI says it stopped an 18-year-old Burger King employee’s ISIS-inspired “terror attack” in North Carolina on New Year’s Eve. Authorities arrested the suspect, from Mint Hill in suburban Charlotte, and charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
The FBI’s Charlotte office said the suspect was “directly inspired to act” by Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). He was allegedly planning to attack a grocery store and fast-food restaurant using knives and hammers. He now faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
“The accused allegedly wanted to be a soldier for ISIS and made plans to commit a violent attack on New Year’s Eve in support of that terrorist group, but the FBI and our partners put a stop to that,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “It is essential to work closely with our law enforcement partners and to quickly share information about potential threats, as demonstrated in this case. The message from the FBI is clear — anyone who supports ISIS or other terrorist groups cannot hide and will be held accountable in our justice system.”
According to the arrest affidavit, the FBI office in Charlotte received information about an individual making multiple social media posts in support of ISIS. The suspect then began communicating with an online covert employee (OC). At one point, he sent a message to the OC with an image of two hammers and a knife.
“This is significant because an article in the 2016 issue of ISIS’s propaganda magazine promoted the use of knives to conduct terror attacks in western countries,” the U.S. Department of Justice stated. “The same article inspired actual attacks in other countries.”
Surreptitious communication with the suspect led to a federal search warrant of his home
The suspect later told the OC that he planned to attack a specific grocery store, and his plans to purchase a firearm to use along with the knives during the attack.
After conducting a search warrant of the suspect’s residence on Dec. 29, law enforcement found handwritten documents, one of which was titled “New Years Attack 2026.” The document listed a vest, mask, tactical gloves, and two knives allegedly intended for use in the attack. The document also expressed the suspect’s desire to stab as many as 21 people. He also expressed his desire to die a martyr.
Authorities found a blue hammer, a wooden handled hammer, and two butcher knives underneath the suspect’s bed. Also located at the scene were a list of targets, tactical gloves, and a vest.