A man accused of planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS was arrested in Canada
A man accused of planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS was arrested in Canada on Wednesday, authorities revealed on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that 20-year-old Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The criminal complaint was filed in the Southern District of New York.
ISIS Support and Plotting Attacks
According to the complaint, Khan began expressing support for ISIS online around November 2023. He discussed his plans for mass shootings at Jewish centers in the U.S. with undercover law enforcement officers, sharing ISIS propaganda videos and images in the process.
Rob Kissane, the special agent in charge of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, stated, “Through our investigation, we discovered Khan used encrypted messaging apps in planning a mass shooting attack at a Jewish site in New York City.”
Khan allegedly told undercover officers that he was aiming to create an offline ISIS cell to carry out coordinated attacks using AR-style rifles at Jewish Chabad centers in Brooklyn. He reportedly began planning a specific attack for October 7, 2024, a few days before Yom Kippur and on the one-year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Khan allegedly described New York City as an ideal location, noting its large Jewish population and saying, “if we succeed with our plan, this would be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.”
Attempt to Enter the U.S.
Khan also allegedly discussed plans to pay a human smuggler to help him illegally cross the U.S. border from Canada. On Wednesday, he used three separate cars to travel across Canada, heading toward the U.S. He was arrested about 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
Kissane praised the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force for disrupting the plot, saying, “Due to great work by the task force, Khan’s alleged plot was disrupted.” One witness described seeing the SWAT team, vans, and armed personnel during the arrest.
No Immediate Threat
Federal investigators emphasized that Khan never posed an immediate threat. Kissane underscored the importance of the task force’s ongoing efforts, saying, “Terrorism has no place in our society. This case underscores the commitment of our Joint Terrorism Task Force to aggressively work to prevent deadly plots before they can be carried out.”
If convicted, Khan faces up to 20 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear in court in Canada on September 13, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
