FBI says it thwarted potential New Year’s terror attack ‘directly inspired’ by ISIS

The FBI said it thwarted a potential New Year’s Eve terror attack in North Carolina, charging 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant with attempting to carry out a knife and hammer attack in support of ISIS.

Court records allege Sturdivant planned to target a grocery store or a Burger King and aimed to kill as many civilians as possible.

Investigators say he was radicalized online, pledged allegiance to ISIS, and shared detailed plans with undercover law enforcement officers posing as extremists.

Authorities found handwritten notes outlining the attack, along with a hammer and messages expressing a desire for “martyrdom,” ABC News has reported.

Sturdivant was arrested on New Year’s Eve and now faces up to 20 years in prison.