Kamal Ghorui
A 21-year-old Pakistani national based in Canada has pleaded guilty in the United States to plotting an ISIS-inspired mass shooting at a prominent Jewish centre in Brooklyn, authorities said on Wednesday.According to the US Department of Justice, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, admitted to attempting to carry out “acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries” and planning to enter the US to execute the attack.“A Pakistani citizen extradited from Canada pled guilty to attempting to commit ISIS-inspired acts of terrorism and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison,” US Department of Justice tweeted.
Plot linked to October 7 anniversary
US officials said Khan intended to time the attack around October 7, 2024, marking one year since the deadly Hamas assault on Israel.Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg said Khan planned the attack “with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible” and viewed New York City as an ideal target due to its large Jewish population.Investigators said Khan also boasted that the attack could become the “largest attack on US soil since 9/11”.
Radicalisation and planning
Authorities said Khan began expressing support for ISIS in November 2023 while residing in Canada, sharing propaganda material online and communicating with individuals about extremist ideology.He later developed plans to carry out coordinated attacks in the US and discussed targeting Jewish religious centres. Unbeknownst to him, some of the individuals he communicated with were undercover law enforcement officers.Khan allegedly instructed them to procure assault rifles, ammunition and other weapons, including knives, for the planned attack.
Attempt to enter US, arrest in Canada
Officials said Khan sought to illegally cross into the United States with the help of a human smuggler.On September 4, 2024, he travelled from the Toronto area towards the US border but was intercepted and arrested near Ormstown in Quebec, nearly 12 miles from the border.The operation involved coordination between the FBI and Canadian authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Extradition and charges
Khan was extradited to the US in June 2025 and has now pleaded guilty before a federal court in New York.He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2026.US Attorney Jay Clayton said the plot was disrupted before Khan could enter the country, while FBI officials underscored the role of joint counterterrorism efforts.Authorities described the case as a significant example of preventing a potentially large-scale terror attack targeting a religious community.
