Pakistani National Arrested: A Pakistani national in Canada planned to kill as many Jewish people as possible before being charged with attempting to support ISIS, according to federal prosecutors on Friday.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested in Canada this week for planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York, according to the criminal complaint. The complaint states that Khan began expressing support for ISIS on social media and through an encrypted messaging app last November.
Pakistani national charged with plotting terrorist attack in New York City, arrested in Canada
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An NYPD official described Khan’s plan as aspirational rather than operational. Khan intended to target a Jewish center in Brooklyn but wasn’t fully committed and seemed open to other ideas. Authorities believe he didn’t have access to weapons, leading him to communicate with undercover agents. He allegedly discussed a “coordinated assault” using AR-style rifles to target Israeli Jewish Chabads.
Khan Charged With Plotting ISIS-Inspired Attack On Jewish Communities in NYC
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that the defendant allegedly planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7, aiming to kill as many Jewish people as possible in the name of ISIS. He emphasized that Jewish communities, like all communities in the country, should not have to live in fear of being targeted by hate-driven terrorist attacks.
Khan allegedly told undercover agents that October 7 and October 11 were “the best days for targeting Jews.” October 7 marks the anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel, while October 11 is Yom Kippur. The NYPD is already increasing security in Jewish neighborhoods ahead of these high holy days, with a security briefing scheduled for community leaders at NYPD headquarters on Monday. Khan is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and if convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
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