Pakistani man Muhammad Shahzeb Khan pleads guilty in US court to ISIS inspired plot for mass shooting at Brooklyn Jewish center, planned for Oct 7 attack anniversary
A 21-year-old Pakistani national has pleaded guilty in a US federal court for plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on a Jewish center in New York, authorities said.
The accused identified as Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, admitted to attempting to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish religious centre in Brooklyn. He was charged with attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.
According to the US Department of Justice, Khan planned the attack to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on Israel, with the “explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible”.
‘Planned A Mass Shooting At Jewish Center In NYC’
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg.
“Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law,” read an official statement released by the Office of public affairs, US Department of Justice.
The statement further said that Khan began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. He subsequently started”planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to Khan, were undercover officers (the UCs). Khan told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”