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Man arrested upon entering the US for planning to murder New York Jews

WASHINGTON – Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, a Pakistani citizen living in Canada, has been arrested and charged with attempting to enter the United States to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York, in support of ISIS.

He was stopped by Canadian law enforcement on September 4 about 12 miles from the U.S.-Canadian border, according to a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York. He is accused of attempting to provide material support and resources to an organization designated as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS).

“We are deeply grateful to our Canadian partners for their important law enforcement actions in this matter. Jewish communities – like all communities in this country – should not have to fear being the target of a hateful terrorist attack,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement.

If convicted, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

According to the complaint, around November 2023, Khan began posting support for ISIS on social media and communicating with others through an encrypted messaging app. This communication included distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Shortly thereafter, Khan began communicating with two undercover agents, telling them that “October 7 and 11 are the best days to target the Jews” because “there will certainly be some protests on October 7 and October 11 is Yom Kippur.” According to the complaint, Khan initially planned to target another, unnamed city before turning his attention to New York.

Khan's arrest came on the same day that the U.S. Department of Justice announced that six senior Hamas leaders had been indicted in connection with the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Khan's case has not yet been entered into the federal court database and an attorney for him has not been identified. The United States has requested his extradition, according to a press release.

Khan explained plans for the attack to undercover agents, including renting an apartment and being brought to the U.S. by a smuggler, the complaint says. Khan also said he had planned to work with an ISIS supporter living in the U.S., who is not named in the complaint, but backed out of that step.

Khan asked the undercover agents to acquire AR rifles, ammunition and other equipment, including “some good hunting guns [knives] so we can slit their throats,” the complaint states. Khan repeatedly reiterated his desire to carry out the attack in support of ISIS, noting, “If our plan succeeds, this would be the largest attack on U.S. soil since September 11,” the complaint states.

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