A man from Pakistan, accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York while residing in the Greater Toronto Area, is set to stand trial in the spring.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan made an appearance at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday. Court records indicate that his trial by jury is slated to commence on May 26, 2026. If found guilty, he could potentially face a life sentence.
The 21-year-old Khan was apprehended by heavily armed officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near a gas station in Ormstown, Quebec, last year following allegations that he had engaged a human smuggler to assist in crossing the U.S. border.
Khan is facing two charges related to terrorism for an alleged plan inspired by ISIS to conduct a shooting at an undisclosed Jewish center in Brooklyn, scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Having been extradited to the U.S., Khan entered a plea of not guilty earlier this year.
Information from Canadian parliamentary committee records revealed that Khan had obtained a study permit in April 2023 and arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport in June of the same year.
Despite the federal immigration department’s security analysis not flagging any risk factors, Khan’s file did not undergo further scrutiny by intelligence agency CSIS or the Canada Border Services Agency.
“We are committed to pursuing prosecution to the maximum extent permitted by law,” stated U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi in June.
CBC News had previously reported on how Khan’s online activities under the pseudonym “Shahzeb Jadoon” drew attention from an FBI informant in October 2023, just a few months after his relocation to the Toronto area.
In an encrypted chat conversation, Khan allegedly wrote, “If we succeed with our plan, this would be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.”
As per evidence presented in Quebec Superior Court during the extradition process, Khan had solicited potential collaborators to procure hunting knives, camouflage attire, tactical gear, AR-style rifles, and “900 rounds of ammunition and 10 magazines each.”
Simultaneously, a self-proclaimed immigration advisor in Mississauga, Ontario, mentioned that Khan was in the process of seeking refugee status in Canada, citing his sexual orientation as the basis for his claim.
“He claimed to be gay,” remarked Fazal Qadeer in an interview with CBC News last year.
In February, Khan informed the Quebec court that he consented to extradition for trial in New York.
“Brothers … we are going to NYC to slaughter them,” allegedly wrote Khan.