Jan 2, 2026, 9:23 p.mJan 2, 2026, 9:23 p.m
The US Federal Police FBI in action. Image: keystone
According to its own information and information from the public prosecutor’s office, the US Federal Police FBI has thwarted a terrorist attack planned for New Year’s Eve in the US state of North Carolina. An 18-year-old planned to use knives and hammers to attack people at a supermarket and a fast food restaurant in the town of Mint Hill, said prosecutor Russ Ferguson of the Western District of North Carolina. According to preliminary findings, the man acted alone. The American was arrested.
The suspect expressed his loyalty to the so-called Islamic State (IS) and confessed that he wanted to kill Americans at the turn of the year, said FBI special agent James Barnacle Jr. The man’s notes found suggested that he was targeting Jews, Christians and people from the LGBTQ+ community – including lesbians, gays and trans people.
The suspect wanted to be an IS soldier, said FBI chief Kash Patel, according to a press release. According to preliminary findings, the federal police received information in mid-December that the man had supported IS in several posts on the Internet. A few years ago, the young man at the time was radicalized via social media. The suspect only came of age in December.
According to Justice Minister Pam Bondi, the FBI had already thwarted planned terrorist attacks targeting California starting on New Year’s Eve in mid-December. Bondi said at the time that these were planned in Los Angeles and the nearby Orange County district of the US state. A “far-left, pro-Palestinian, anti-government and anti-capitalist” group had prepared a “series of bombings at various targets in California”. (sda/dpa)