Washington, April 9 (NationPress) A citizen of Pakistan has confessed to attempting to execute an ISIS-inspired mass shooting targeting a major Jewish center in New York, as stated by U.S. officials. This plan was strategically scheduled to align with the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks.

Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also referred to as “Shahzeb Jadoon,” acknowledged his intentions to perpetrate acts of terrorism that crossed national borders, according to the Justice Department. His sentencing is set for August 12, 2026, where he could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Authorities revealed that Khan had intended to carry out a significant attack in Brooklyn using automatic firearms.

“Khan aimed to orchestrate a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, precisely timed to the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit objective of killing as many Jews as possible,” stated Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg.

He further noted that Khan regarded New York as the “ideal” location due to its substantial Jewish demographic and claimed his attack could potentially be the “largest incident on U.S. soil since 9/11.”

Prosecutors indicated that Khan, a Pakistani national living in Canada, began demonstrating support for ISIS in late 2023 via online communications, including sharing propaganda.

Subsequently, he engaged in discussions with individuals he presumed were co-conspirators, who were actually undercover agents.

Khan expressed his intention to use AR-style rifles to “target Israeli Jewish chabads . . . spread throughout (City-1),” and consistently urged them to acquire weapons and ammunition.

By August 2024, investigators reported that Khan had redirected his focus towards New York City, pinpointing a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn as his target.

He disclosed plans to execute the attack around October 7, 2024, commemorating one year since the Hamas assault on Israel.

In communications referenced by prosecutors, Khan stated, “New York is perfect to target Jews” and declared, “we are heading to NYC to slaughter them,” while pushing associates to secure rifles and knives.

He also asserted that if successful, the attack “would represent the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.”

Authorities revealed that Khan sought entry into the United States through the assistance of a human smuggler.

On September 4, 2024, he traveled from the Toronto area towards the U.S. border but was intercepted and apprehended in Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the border.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton noted that the plot was thwarted before Khan could enter the United States.

“Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s scheme was disrupted prior to his arrival in the United States,” Clayton stated.

FBI officials emphasized that this case highlights ongoing threats from ISIS-inspired individuals.

“With this guilty plea, he will now face the repercussions of planning a mass shooting in New York City that could have resulted in numerous casualties,” remarked Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky.

This case involved collaboration between U.S. and Canadian authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, culminating in Khan’s arrest and subsequent extradition to the United States in June 2025.