WASHINGTON: An 18-year-old man with a history of mental health issues was arrested in the US state of North Carolina on New Year’s Eve for allegedly planning a knife-and-hammer attack in the name of the militant Islamic State armed group.

A judge ordered Christian Sturdivant, who was arrested on Dec 31, to remain in custody until a further hearing on Jan 7.

Sturdivant was charged with providing material support to a “terrorist organisation,” after under­cover FBI agents fooled him into believing they were members of the IS.

“He pledged his allegiance to IS with that undercover agent, and he disclosed his plans to ‘do jihad’ soon,” said federal prosecutor Russ Ferguson at a press conference.

He revealed to the second agent his plans to carry out a knife-and-hammer attack at a grocery store and fast food restaurant in the town of Mint Hill on New Year’s Eve, Ferguson said.

“He said he was going to wear a Kevlar vest and attack people with knives and hammers. And of course, he talked about when he was going to carry out this attack, which was New Year’s Eve.”

Sturdivant had been known to the FBI since 2022, when he was still a minor, as he had been “in contact via social media with an unidentified IS member”, said special agent James Barnacle.

But no charges were brought at the time and he received psychological care before police authorities were again alerted to his online activities.

Ferguson stressed that the suspect was put under 24-hour surveillance when it became clear he was planning an attack.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2026