The Justice Department announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pleaded guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism across national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York.
Khan, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Khan pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2026.
In or about November 2023, Khan, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature.
Khan subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to Khan, were undercover officers.
Khan told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (associate-1) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [city-1].” Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in Ccity-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.
“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.”