The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it foiled a potential terrorist attack reportedly planned for New Year’s Eve in the state of North Carolina.
An 18-year-old had intended to attack people with knives and hammers in a supermarket and a fast food restaurant in the town of Mint Hill, prosecutor Russ Ferguson from the Western District of North Carolina said on Friday.
According to preliminary findings, the man – an American citizen – had been acting alone. He has been arrested.
The suspect had expressed his loyalty to the so-called Islamic State (IS) militia and confessed that he had wanted to kill Americans at the turn of the year, FBI Special Agent James Barnacle Jr said.
Notes found on the man suggested that he had targeted Jews, Christians and people from the LGBTQ+ community, including lesbians, gays and transgender people.
The suspect, who was still a teenager at the time, had been radicalised via social media several years ago. He came of age in December.
According to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI also foiled terrorist attacks planned for New Year’s Eve in California in mid-December.
Bondi said at the time that the attacks had been planned in Los Angeles and the nearby Orange County district of the US state.
She claimed that a left-wing extremist, pro-Palestinian, anti-government and anti-capitalist group had prepared a series of bomb attacks on various targets in California.
