Christian Sturdivant, 18, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation right before he could actualize his disturbing terroristic New Year’s Eve plan in North Carolina.
As the FBI wades through internal controversy, it continues to prove that no other agency is quite as good at foiling internal threats as the FBI. According to reports, Sturdivant has been on their radar since 2022, when he left his house dressed in all black to kill his neighbor with a knife and hammer. At the time, Sturdivant was a minor and underwent psychological care, with no subsequent charges filed, but the FBI began paying close attention.
The Kash Patel–led agency went on to observe his social media activity for about a year. Reportedly, Sturdivant spent a significant amount of time on various websites consuming ISIS material. He also created his own TikTok videos in which he explained to his followers the intricacies of ISIS ideology.
The FBI was able to obtain a search warrant for Sturdivant’s home. There, they found notes and materials detailing his plan for a New Year’s Eve attack. Sturdivant was allegedly aiming to attack a grocery store and a Burger King in Mint Hill, near Charlotte. Allegedly, he was targeting non-Muslims, members of the LGBTQ community, and law enforcement.
Inside the house was a note detailing his hope to die at the hands of police, along with tactical gloves and a Kevlar vest. Luckily, none of this was ever used and instead was submitted into evidence. According to NBC, FBI special agent James Barnacle said, “We could be announcing a national tragedy. Instead, a terrorist attack was thwarted.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson, will now be in charge of prosecuting the case. He appeared satisfied with the evidence collected by the FBI and confident in seeing the case through. Ferguson said, “It was a very well-planned, thoughtful attack that he had planned, and that was fortunately foiled. Here he was preparing for jihad, and innocent people were going to die, and we were very, very fortunate they did not.”
The FBI has also remained focused on other cases threatening Americans in different ways, including drug trafficking. While the case in Venezuela continues following Donald Trump’s administration abducting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro on charges of “narco-terrorism,” the FBI has been far more focused on Ryan Wedding. Wedding is a former snowboarder-turned-drug dealer and is believed to be one of the most dangerous individuals when considering the adverse effects drugs have had on American homes.
The Sturdivant case seemingly will be an open-and-shut one, given the amount of evidence the FBI has gathered over the years while investigating him. He is the latest in a long list of foiled plots the FBI has been able to stop to protect Americans. The FBI, however, stated that the investigation remains open as they continue searching for additional evidence to make the case even smoother for Ferguson.
FBI officials confirmed that Sturdivant was working alone, with no connections to any of the other foiled plots across the nation.
Published: Jan 4, 2026 01:06 pm