‘Kill as Many Jews as Possible’: Chilling U.S. Terror Plot Foiled Before October 7 Anniversary

Yesterday (Tuesday), Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 20-year-old Pakistani citizen also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited from Canada to the United States to face terrorism charges related to a planned mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Federal authorities allege Khan intended to carry out the attack on October 7, 2024, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Details of the Alleged Plot

Khan, who resided in Canada, was arrested on September 4, 2024, in Ormstown, Quebec, approximately 12 miles from the U.S. border, while attempting to enter the United States.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Khan aimed to “slaughter as many Jewish people as possible” in the name of the Islamic State (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. He allegedly targeted a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, identified in some reports as a Chabad-Lubavitch facility, due to New York City’s significant Jewish population.

The plot came to light through Khan’s communications with two undercover FBI officers. Since November 2023, he had been sharing ISIS propaganda videos and expressing support for the group on social media and encrypted messaging apps. Khan told the undercover officers he was forming an “offline cell” of ISIS supporters to attack “Israeli Jewish Chabad” centers in the U.S.

He outlined plans to use AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and hunting knives, boasting that the attack could be “the largest on U.S. soil since 9/11.” On August 20, 2024, Khan sent a photograph of the specific area within the Jewish center where he planned the shooting and confirmed October 7 or Yom Kippur (October 11) as potential dates, citing their symbolic significance.

Khan’s plan involved crossing the border from Canada, and he detailed his travel logistics to the undercover officers. On September 4, he was apprehended after switching vehicles multiple times en route from Toronto, a move authorities believe was intended to evade detection.

Charges and Legal Proceedings

Khan faces two charges: attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years, and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which could lead to life imprisonment. He is set to make his initial court appearance today before Chief Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York, with the case pending before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.

U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the threat posed by ISIS, stating, “Our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these.” FBI Director Kash Patel praised the joint efforts of the FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles field offices, along with Canadian law enforcement, for disrupting the plot. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York empasized the attack’s antisemitic intent, noting Khan’s plan to use automatic weapons to kill as many Jewish people as possible.