A Canadian resident was arrested this week over a terror plot against a Jewish Center in New York City that was planned for Oct. 7, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s initial attack on Israel which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
The plotter, according to the Justice Department (DOJ), was a supporter of the Islamic State.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as Shazeb Jadoon, planned the attacks to coincide with the anniversary. The 20-year-old Pakistani national intended to travel to Brooklyn to carry out a mass shooting, according to a DOJ press release.
“The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in the release.
The FBI began investigating Khan after he started posting about his support for ISIS on social media and encrypted apps in 2023.
“The defendant was allegedly determined to kill Jewish people here in the United States, nearly one year after Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said. “The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to commit violence in the name of ISIS or other terrorist organizations.”
“Fighting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority,” he added.
Khan was arrested in Canada on Sept. 4, and was charged with “one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.”
He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The news comes as the Israel-Hamas war enters its 11th month. During the initial Oct. 7 attack on Israel, roughly 250 hostages were taken captive, and more than 1,200 Israelis were killed. Cease-fire and hostage deal negotiations continue, as tension in the Middle East continues to rise.