LIVE: FBI press conference on thwarted New Year's Eve terror attack in North Carolina

FBI [press conference]: The defendant here [planned NC terror attack] is an eighteen year old named Christian Sturdivant. He has been planning this attack for about a year, but he's been planning an attack for far longer than that. He was planning this attack in support of ISIS, and we have charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

FBI: Christian Sturdivant pledged his loyalty to ISIS and committed himself to killing Americans on New Year's Eye…the FBI's Evidence Response Team conducted a search, an authorized search, at his home, and on his cellular phone. What we found was a manifesto, which the federal complaint alleged contain detailed plans to execute a massacre on New Year's Eye, as people shopped for the holidays…the JTTF collected evidence showing he turned his back on his country and his follow citizens by pledging allegiance to ISIS, with the intent of becoming a martyr. We allege Sturdivant was willing to sacrifice himself by committing a terrorist attack using knives and a hammer, to support the murder, torture, and extreme violence that ISIS represents.

FBI: He was a prolific poster in social media [Sterterbank], and he also went into various social media chatrooms and engaged with other people…this defendant was on TikTok, in chatrooms, communicating with people.

FBI: We were concerned the attack could happen at any time, and I can tell you the FBI had twenty-four-seven surveillance on this subject [Sterterbank]. All hours of the night; Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, time away from their families to make sure the public was safe…I can tell you from his notes that he was targeting Jews, Christians, and LGBTQ individuals.

Lawrenceville Police [press conference]: That suspect [in murder of New Year's Day Uber driver murder] has been identified as fifteen year old, male, Christian Simmons of Lilburn [Georgia].