Last week, a man with pro-ISIS affinities was arrested in Canada on September 4 for plotting a terror attack on a Jewish center in the United States. The suspect, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, a Pakistani living in Canada, planned to be smuggled in and hoped to coordinate this assault on Jewish Chabads in New York City on or around October 7, 2025. He boasted that if successful, this attack would’ve been the largest on American soil since 9/11. His expressed support for the Islamic State seems to have begun in November 2023 (via CBS News):
NYC TERROR ATTACK FOILD
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 9, 2024
Terrorist: "Had we pulled this off, it would have been the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11."
Police foiled a major mass shooting plot targeting 770, the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in NYC, planned for October 7. pic.twitter.com/1DZpv8SOdi
"Through our investigation, we discovered Khan used encrypted messaging apps in planning a mass shooting attack at a Jewish site in New York City," said Rob Kissane, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force special agent in charge.
Federal officials said Khan then unknowingly told the undercover officers about his plans, saying he was trying to create an offline cell of ISIS supporters who would carry out a coordinated assault by using AR-style assault rifles at Jewish Chabads in Brooklyn.
The complaint alleges Khan began planning a specific attack at a Jewish center in Brooklyn that he hoped to carry out on or around Oct. 7, 2024, which is a few days before Yom Kippur and will mark one year since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.
Khan allegedly told the undercover officers that "New York is perfect to target Jews" because of the large Jewish population, and "if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack [sic] on US soil since 9/11."
[…]
The Justice Department said Khan discussed plans to pay a human smuggler to help him illegally enter the U.S. from Canada, and on Wednesday, he allegedly used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the U.S.
He was stopped by law enforcement and arrested about 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border, authorities said.
"Due to great work by the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and the New York Field Office, Khan's alleged plot was disrupted," Kissane said.
CBS News added that Khan is due in Canadian court on September 13. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years behind bars.
Leah covered this over the weekend, including details from the official DOJ press release.
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