Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen also known as “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pleaded guilty on April 8 to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. The Justice Department said Khan planned to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. He is scheduled for sentencing on August 12.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about threats against religious communities and the persistent risks posed by international terrorist organizations. Authorities say the plan was inspired by ISIS and targeted New York City due to its large Jewish population.
“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.”
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York said, “Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS… Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City.” Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division added, “With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people.”
According to court documents, Khan began supporting ISIS online while living in Canada starting around November 2023 and discussed plans for terrorist attacks with undercover officers posing as accomplices. He identified targets among Jewish institutions using AR-style rifles and sought help from human smugglers to cross into the United States from Canada.
In August 2024, authorities say Khan shifted his focus specifically toward an attack at a Brooklyn religious center timed around October 7—one year after Hamas attacked Israel—and sent details including photographs of intended locations within that facility. On September 4, he was arrested near Ormstown, Canada, about twelve miles from the U.S.-Canada border before he could attempt entry into America.
Khan faces up to life imprisonment; however, sentencing will be determined by Judge Paul G. Gardephe based on statutory guidelines.
The investigation involved cooperation between multiple agencies including FBI offices across several cities; local police departments; U.S., Canadian law enforcement; and federal prosecutors.
