FBI Stops ISIS-Inspired New Year’s Bomb Plot in North Carolina

A Midnight Knock That Saved Countdowns

Just after 11 p.m. on December 30, the only sound on Maple Street in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, was the low hum of holiday lights. Inside a rented storage unit three blocks away, 23-year-old Malik Johnson was allegedly screwing the final bolt into a pressure-cooker bomb he planned to leave near midnight on New Year’s Eve, federal agents say.

Before the clock struck twelve, an FBI tactical team blew the door off its hinges and dragged Johnson into the winter night, handcuffed and silent. The device—packed with ball bearings, nails, and a cellphone detonator—never left the unit.

From Online Lurker to Would-Be Bomber

According to the criminal complaint unsealed Monday, Johnson spent the past six months binge-watching ISIS propaganda on encrypted apps. Agents first noticed him in July, when a tipster flagged a Twitter account praising the 2015 Paris attacks. By October, undercover employees were swapping messages with Johnson, who allegedly asked how to “make the kuffar bleed on their holiday.”

“He told us he wanted something bigger than Boston,” said Special Agent Karen Hayes, referring to the 2013 marathon bombing. “New Year’s Eve crowds were simply the easiest target.”

A Town That Refused to Be a Footnote

Asheville’s annual “Big Countdown” draws 30,000 locals and tourists to Pack Square for live music and a 40-foot LED ball drop. City Manager Deanne Jones learned of the threat only after Johnson’s arrest, yet insisted the celebration go ahead with a bolstered police presence and bomb-sniffing dogs.

• More than 100 surveillance cameras were added along parade routes.
• Trash cans were sealed or removed to deny hiding spots.
• Attendees were asked to use clear plastic bags to speed security lines.

By 11:59 p.m., when the ball descended and fireworks lit the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, no one in the crowd knew how close they had come to tragedy.

What Comes Next

Johnson faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and building a weapon of mass destruction. If convicted, he could spend life in federal prison. Investigators are combing through phones and laptops seized at the scene, looking for accomplices.

“This plot was stopped because citizens spoke up and law enforcement moved fast,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra Haak. “The threat hasn’t gone away; the calendar only flips.”