Canadian National Arrested in Alleged Plot to Attack Jewish Center in New York City
On Wednesday, Canadian authorities arrested a 20-year-old man, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, accused of planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS. Khan, a Pakistani national living in Canada who also goes by the alias Shahzeb Jadoon, has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Khan was apprehended by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) following a warrant issued in the Southern District of New York. According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Khan allegedly sought to travel to the United States to carry out a coordinated terrorist attack aimed at murdering Jewish people, citing support for ISIS as his motivation.
“This defendant was determined to kill Jewish people here in the United States, nearly one year after Hamas’s horrific attack on Israel,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “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.”
Khan allegedly began his planning in November of last year, using encrypted messaging platforms to communicate his intentions and distribute ISIS propaganda. According to the Department of Justice, Khan unknowingly interacted with two undercover law enforcement officers during the course of his planning. He allegedly detailed his goal of forming an ISIS-affiliated cell to execute an assault with AR-style rifles at Jewish centers, specifically targeting Chabad centers in Brooklyn and other U.S. cities.
Khan allegedly directed the undercover agents to purchase weapons and ammunition and urged them to acquire hunting knives for “slitting throats” during the attacks. His plan was to carry out the assault during significant Jewish holidays, identifying October 7 and October 11 as key dates. October 7 marks the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, and October 11 corresponds with Yom Kippur, one of the holiest days in the Jewish calendar.
In a message to one of the undercover officers, Khan reportedly described New York as an ideal target due to its large Jewish population, stating, “New York is perfect to target Jews,” and claimed the attack could result in one of the deadliest assaults on U.S. soil since 9/11.
Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on the case, noting that Khan had planned the attack to coincide with the Hamas anniversary, with the intent of “slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible.”
Law enforcement officials have reiterated the gravity of the threat Khan posed. “This case underscores the commitment of our Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York City to continue to aggressively work to prevent plots before they can be carried out,” said Ron Kissane, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Khan remains in Canadian custody, and authorities are working on extradition proceedings to bring him to the United States, where he will face trial in the Southern District of New York.
