Domestic Terrorism and ISIS

Federal prosecutors and the FBI say they disrupted an ISIS‑inspired plot by 18‑year‑old Christian Sturdivant to carry out a New Year’s Eve attack in Mint Hill, North Carolina, targeting a grocery store and a nearby fast‑food restaurant; agents arrested him Dec. 29 and charged him in federal court with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. According to the affidavit, searches found knives, hammers, a handwritten "New Years Attack 2026" manifesto and a list of targets, investigators say Sturdivant had pledged allegiance to ISIS after contact with an overseas member in 2022, he remains in custody pending a Jan. 7 detention hearing, and officials say the public was never in danger.