WASHINGTON: A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada was arrested on Wednesday (Sep 4) and charged with planning an assault in New York Metropolis in assist of the Islamic State, the Division of Justice mentioned on Friday (Sep 6).
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, is accused of plotting a mass taking pictures at a Jewish heart in Brooklyn round Oct 7, 2024, practically one yr after Hamas’ assault that killed greater than 1,000 folks in Israel.
Lawyer Normal Merrick Garland mentioned Khan, who’s also called Shahzeb Jadoon, aimed to kill “as many Jewish folks as attainable”.
Khan tried to journey from Canada to the USA the place he supposed to make use of automated and semi-automatic weapons to hold out the assault, in keeping with the indictment.
He was arrested in Canada, simply 19 kilometers from the US border.
Khan instructed two undercover regulation enforcement officers of his plans to create “an actual offline cell” of Islamic State supporters to hold out an assault, the indictment alleged.
He instructed them to acquire AR-style assault rifles, ammunition and different supplies to hold out the assaults, and recognized particular areas the place the assaults would happen.
Khan focused New York Metropolis as a result of it has “the most important Jewish inhabitants in America,” prosecutors mentioned.
“We’re deeply grateful to our Canadian companions for his or her important regulation enforcement actions on this matter. Jewish communities — like all communities on this nation — shouldn’t should worry that they are going to be focused by a hate-fueled terrorist assault,” Garland mentioned in a press release.
Khan faces as much as 20 years in jail.
