Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a/k/a “Shahzeb Jadoon,” who Was Residing in Canada, Attempted to Enter the United States to Carry Out a Mass Shooting in Support of ISIS in New York City
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; the Attorney General for the United States, Pamela Bondi; the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia; and the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a/k/a “Shahzeb Jadoon,” has been extradited from Canada to the United States to face charges for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in New York. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe. KHAN will make his initial appearance in court, before Chief Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn.
“As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS. Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror. Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”
“The foreign terrorist organization ISIS remains a clear and present danger to the American people, and our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice is proud to help secure this extradition, and we will prosecute this man to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan has been brought to the United States to face justice for his barbaric plot to conduct a mass shooting in New York City,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Due to the dedication and commitment of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and our partners here and internationally, we were able to disrupt Khan’s evil plans before he could carry them out. The FBI will do whatever it takes to defend our nation from those wishing to carry out acts of terrorism, wherever in the world they may be located.”
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan—a supporter of ISIS and fueled by antisemitism—allegedly plotted a terrorist attack that could have slaughtered Jewish New Yorkers simply because of their faith,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Thanks to the proactive work of the NYPD, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, that plot was stopped before it could become a tragedy. This case is a powerful reminder of the ongoing efforts by the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to prevent acts of hate and protect our communities, because bigotry and antisemitism have no place in our city. And we will never hesitate to hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety of New Yorkers.”
As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings:[1]
In or about November 2023, KHAN, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others on an encrypted messaging application about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. KHAN then began communicating with two undercover law enforcement officers (collectively, the “UCs”) about his desire and plan to carry out terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS. During those conversations, KHAN confirmed that he and a U.S.-based associate (“Associate-1”) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (“City-1”) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”[2] During subsequent conversations, KHAN repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.
In or about August 2024, KHAN changed his target to New York City. Specifically, KHAN told the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York (“Location-1”). KHAN conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024—which KHAN recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas. KHAN told the UCs that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in america,” and, as such, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” KHAN then told the UCs that he intended to kill as many Jewish civilians as possible, proclaiming that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where KHAN planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, KHAN continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, KHAN noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about September 4, 2024, KHAN attempted to reach the U.S-Canada border using a human smuggler to enter the United States and carry out his attack. KHAN traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada toward the United States, before he was stopped in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
KHAN, 20, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The potential maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division for their assistance. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Counterterrorism Section.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the charging instruments and other public filings to date constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
[2] “Chabad” is a branch of Hasidic Judaism, as well as a movement that operates Jewish religious and educational institutions around the world.
