Man planning to commit terror attack at Jewish center in NYC arrested near U.S.-Canada border, authorities say

NEW YORK — A man accused of planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS was arrested Wednesday in Canada, authorities announced Friday.

The United States Department of Justice said Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 20-year-old Pakistani citizen living in Canada, has been charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. A criminal complaint was filed in the Southern District of New York.

According to the complaint, Khan began expressing support for ISIS online around November 2023 and spoke to undercover law enforcement officers online about his plans to carry out mass shootings at Jewish centers in the United States.

The complaint alleges Khan began planning a specific attack at a Jewish center in Brooklyn that he hoped to carry out on or around Oct. 7, 2024, to mark one year since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Khan allegedly told the undercover officers that “New York is perfect to target Jews” and “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”

The Justice Department said Khan discussed plans to pay a human smuggler to help him illegally enter the U.S. from Canada, and on Wednesday, he allegedly used three separate cars to travel across Canada towards the U.S.

He was stopped by law enforcement and arrested about 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border, authorities said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said.

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