Residents shocked after alleged ISIS supporter arrested in Ormstown, Que.
Last week, the RCMP arrested an alleged terror suspect in Ormstown, Que., and residents of the small community are still reeling.
According to court documents filed in New York, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan allegedly hoped to commit the largest attack on American soil since 9/11.
"When you talk terrorist, and you talk ISIS in the same sentence In Ormstown?" said Gail Elliot, who witnessed two arrests right outside her house.
Another witness, Elizabeth Henshaw, described seeing a woman and a man in handcuffs on Elliot's front porch.
"The car was right there. And we watched them search it afterwards. They came away with a bag of evidence of some kind," Henshaw said.
In a complaint filed by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, Khan is a supporter of the terror group ISIS and planned to use automatic and semi-automatic weapons to carry out mass shootings at Jewish religious centres in the US.
Khan allegedly texted, "if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest attack on US soil since 9/11."
The Conservative party pushed for an answer about how the accused entered Canada, and the federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller responded on Tuesday.
"Mohammed Khan is a Pakistani national who entered Canada in May or was issued a visa in May of 2023 and entered Canada on the 24th of June of the same year. This is all that I'll be commenting on this individual."
Authorities believe Khan was headed toward the Roxham Road crossing.
While some residents are surprised about the scope of the planned attack, they said Ormstown is about 20 minutes from the US border.
"I mean with our location near the border, it's on the other hand not surprising either," Elliot said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prime minister faces mounting pressure to step aside from inside caucus
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will face mounting pressure from his caucus this week to step down from the leadership of the Liberal party.
Bloc won't hold Liberals 'hostage' over seniors' benefits: cabinet minister
Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says the Liberals will not be 'held hostage' by the Bloc Quebecois' demand to expand Old Age Security to more seniors.
What's open and closed this Thanksgiving in Canada
Thanksgiving Day is a federal statutory holiday in Canada, and falls on Monday, Oct. 14 this year. Here's what to know about what is open this Monday.
Suspect threw coffee at woman’s vehicle then shot at her windshield: police
Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly threw a coffee at a woman’s vehicle and then shot at her windshield following some sort of dispute that began at a Tim Hortons in Pickering on Friday morning.
Ex-principal of Ontario Christian school charged with sex assault
The former principal of a Christian school in Ontario's Niagara Region has been arrested and charged with sexual assault.
Government spending on flights for Canadians fleeing the Middle East unpopular, Nanos survey finds
Amid escalating violence in the Middle East, a majority of surveyed Canadians say they don't believe the costs associated with Canadians fleeing the region should be funded solely by the government.
Children and adults transported to a Pennsylvania hospital after ingesting 'toxic mushrooms'
Children and adults were transported to a hospital in Pennsylvania Friday night after being sickened by mushrooms, authorities said.
As Hezbollah and Israel battle on the border, Lebanon's army watches from the sidelines
Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon, Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have clashed along the border while the Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines.
Parents across GTA warned by some private daycares that they may pull out of $10-a-day program
Parents at some private, for-profit daycares across the GTA are being warned that their fees could soon be doubling as operators consider pulling out of the national $10-a-day child-care program.