20-year-old man arrested in Canada for alleged ISIS-inspired plot to attack Jewish people in NYC

A Pakistani national in Canada plotted to slaughter as many Jewish people as possible before he was charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, federal prosecutors said Friday

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, was arrested this week in Canada, where he planned to travel to New York to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, according to the criminal complaint.

Khan began posting on social media and communicating on an encrypted messaging app about his support for ISIS last November, the complaint said.

An NYPD official describes the Khan's plan as aspirational, not operational. Khan was looking to target a Jewish center located in Brooklyn, but was not 100% set and appeared open to suggestion.

Law enforcement does not believe he had access to get a weapon, forcing him to communicate with the undercover agents, allegedly telling them about a "coordinated assault" using AR-style rifles to "target Israeli Jewish chabads."

"The defendant is alleged to have planned a terrorist attack in New York City around October 7th of this year with the stated goal of slaughtering, in the name of ISIS, as many Jewish people as possible," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement announcing the charges. "Jewish communities - like all communities in this country - should not have to fear that they will be targeted by a hate-fueled terrorist attack."

Khan allegedly told the undercovers October 7 and October 11 "are the best days for targeting Jews."

October 7 is the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. October 11 is Yom Kipur.

The NYPD is already rolling out plans for extra security in Jewish neighborhoods, ahead of the high holy days, and a holiday security briefing was already scheduled for community leaders Monday afternoon at NYPD headquarters

Khan is charged with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.