Pakistani man pleads guilty of attempting to commit biggest attack on US soil since 9/11
He planned to use atomatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting on the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks "with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible".
PTC News Desk: A Pakistani national pleaded guilty to attempting to commit a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York, what could have been "largest terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11".
The man, identified as Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, aka Shahzeb Jadoon, had been living in Canada on study permit, admitted to plotting the attack on the US soil since the September 11 attacks.
According to the US Justice Department, he planned to use atomatic weapons to carry out a mass shooting on the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks "with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible".
According to court documents, Khan began showing support for ISIS on social media in late 2023. He shared propaganda and discussed his extremist views with others. He later got in touch with two people he believed were co-conspirators, but they were actually undercover law enforcement officers.
Over several months, Khan shared detailed plans for an attack. At first, he planned to target Jewish centres in another US city using assault rifles, but in August 2024, he shifted his focus to New York City. He said the city was an ideal target because of its large Jewish population.
According to Assistant Attorney General Eisenberg, Khan described New York as the “perfect” place for an attack and claimed it could be the biggest attack in the US since the September 11 attacks.
He identified a specific enclosed area inside a Jewish centre in Brooklyn as his intended target, shared photos of the location, and repeatedly asked the undercover officers to arrange rifles, ammunition, and knives. He also said that if the plan succeeded, it could become the largest attack on US soil since 9/11.