A Pakistani man residing in Canada has been extradited to the United States to face charges over an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish centre in Brooklyn, New York, in support of the Islamic State (ISIS).
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon Khan, arrived in Toronto on June 24, 2023, one month after receiving his student visa.
Khan is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation and attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national borders. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. He was flown to the US on 10 June 2025 after his arrest by Canadian authorities last September.
According to US prosecutors, Khan, who lived near Toronto, planned to cross the US-Canada border and commit a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish religious centre in Brooklyn on or around 7 October 2024 — the one-year anniversary of the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Israel. US officials say the alleged plot was motivated by both ISIS ideology and violent antisemitism.
FBI Director Kash Patel, announcing the extradition on X, said:
“Major news… earlier this afternoon, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, was extradited to the United States on charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism.”
“In the fall of last year, Khan allegedly planned to travel from Canada to New York and carry out a mass shooting in support of ISIS at a Jewish Centre in Brooklyn,” he added.
“Khan allegedly planned his attack to occur on October 7, 2024 — the one year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel.
Thankfully, the great work of FBI teams and our partners exposed those plans and shut them down — and Khan was arrested by Canadian authorities on September 4, 2024. He has now arrived in the U.S. and will face American justice.”
Patel said the case served as a reminder of “the constant threat of terrorism facing every corner of the world, as well as the disturbing rise in threats against our Jewish communities.”
It is reported that much of the evidence made public so far was gathered by FBI undercover agents posing as co-conspirators in the alleged plot. The FBI’s New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles field offices were involved in the investigation, in coordination with Canadian law enforcement. The extradition was secured with assistance from the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
It is reported that the court documents allege that Khan began expressing his support for ISIS via social media and encrypted messaging platforms in November 2023, posting propaganda and engaging with like-minded individuals. He later made contact with two undercover FBI agents posing as ISIS supporters.
During his online exchanges with the agents, Khan allegedly revealed his intention to form “a real offline cell” of ISIS operatives to carry out a “coordinated assault” targeting “Israeli Jewish chabads.” He urged the undercover officers to acquire AR-style rifles, ammunition, and “some good hunting [knives] so we can slit their throats.”
The complaint states that Khan originally considered attacks in another US city (“City-1”) but shifted his focus to New York City in August 2024, citing its large Jewish population. He told the undercover officers:
“New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population In america,” and “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.”
Khan allegedly planned the attack for 7 October 2024, saying “Oct 7th and Oct 11th are the best days for targeting the jews” — with the former coinciding with the Hamas assault in Israel and the latter with Yom Kippur.
He later sent a photograph of the specific interior area of the Jewish centre where he planned to carry out the killings, reportedly stating,
“We are going to NYC to slaughter them.”
US Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York said in a statement: “As alleged, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan attempted to enter the United States to carry out a deadly terrorist attack on a Jewish centre in New York City. He planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many members of our Jewish community as possible, all in support of ISIS.”
“Khan’s deadly, antisemitic plan was thwarted by the diligent work of our law enforcement partners and the career prosecutors in this Office who are committed to rooting out antisemitism and stopping terror.
Thanks to their efforts, Khan will now face justice in New York.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi added: “The foreign terrorist organisation ISIS remains a clear and present danger to the American people, and our Jewish citizens are especially targeted by evil groups like these.
“The Department of Justice is proud to help secure this extradition, and we will prosecute this man to the fullest extent of the law.”
The NYPD’s Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said the case served as “a powerful reminder of the ongoing efforts by the NYPD and our law enforcement partners to prevent acts of hate and protect our communities.”
According to authorities, Khan had made arrangements to be smuggled across the US-Canada border using three different vehicles during his final attempt to reach New York. He was intercepted on 4 September 2024 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ormstown, Quebec, just 12 miles from the border.
He is now scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan on 11 June 2025.
The charges against Khan are:
- One count of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organisation (maximum 20 years in prison).
- One count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries (maximum life in prison).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles, with Trial Attorney Kevin C. Nunnally from the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section also assisting.
Officials emphasised that the charges are allegations and that Khan is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
This extradition comes amid a marked increase in antisemitic incidents across the United States following the Hamas-Israel conflict, and just a week after an Egyptian national was charged with federal hate crimes over a separate plot targeting Jewish activists in Colorado.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
