Canadian resident extradited to U.S. over ISIS plot targeting Jewish center in NYC

A Canadian resident and Pakistani citizen has been extradited to the United States to face terrorism charges for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to prosecutors.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was transferred to U.S. custody on Tuesday and is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Wednesday in Lower Manhattan. He is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.

Federal authorities say that Khan, who was living in Canada, coordinated with an ISIS supporter in the United States and undercover agents to carry out an attack using automatic weapons on a Jewish community center in Brooklyn. He allegedly intended to conduct the attack around October 7, 2024, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas-led terrorist assault on Israel.

According to the indictment, Khan began expressing support for ISIS on social media and encrypted platforms in late 2023, distributing propaganda and discussing plans to form an offline terror cell. He communicated extensively with undercover law enforcement officers, urging them to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and knives for the attack, and sent images of the intended target.

Prosecutors said Khan planned to cross the U.S.-Canada border with the help of a smuggler and had scoped out rental properties near the target site. He reportedly stated, “We are going to NYC to slaughter them,” and declared that the attack “would be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.”

Khan was arrested by Canadian authorities on September 4 in Ormstown, Quebec, about 12 miles from the U.S. border. He had used multiple vehicles in an attempt to evade detection.

“This is a deeply disturbing case,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Khan planned to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS. Thanks to the dedication of our law enforcement partners, that plan was stopped before it could begin.”

If convicted, Khan faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. The FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles field offices are leading the investigation, with assistance from Canadian law enforcement and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.