Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 21-year-old Pakistani man, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a terrorism charge in Manhattan federal court, admitting that his plan to attack a Jewish center in Brooklyn in support of the Islamic State group was “morally reprehensible.” Khan said he initially intended to use automatic weapons and knives to carry out the attack in October 2024, inspired by the Islamic State’s call for Muslims to target Jewish people.
Khan, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, had been arrested in Ormstown, Canada, near the U.S. border in September 2024 and was brought to the United States more than 18 months ago. During his plea, he told Judge Paul G. Gardephe that he had planned to cross into the U.S. in September 2024 specifically to attack Jewish individuals in Brooklyn, motivated by retaliation for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Khan expressed regret for his plan, which included renting space next to the center, and said, “I was not raised this way… what I planned to do was wrong” and called his plot a “terrible, extremely dangerous and morally reprehensible idea.” Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 12, when he could face life in prison.
Authorities said Khan attracted attention after posting online about his support for the Islamic State in November 2023. He later communicated with two undercover law enforcement officers while planning attacks in the United States. Federal officials said Khan identified a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, describing it as the “ultra orthodox Hasidic Jews world headquarters,” and wrote that “New York is perfect to target Jews” due to its large Jewish population. U.S. authorities have stated that Khan had intended the attack to coincide with the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and had boasted it would be the largest attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11.
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