INDIANA — The FBI Indianapolis Field Office revealed on Monday that it successfully disrupted a terror plot targeting a Central Indiana high school, involving a student who was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS).
The disclosure was part of a broader 2025 year-end performance report released by the Bureau on January 5, 2026. The report highlighted a record-breaking year for the Indianapolis office, which saw a 112% increase in arrests compared to the previous year.
Firearms Seized, Student Expelled
While federal authorities have been tight-lipped about the specific timing of the plot and the identity of the school, new details emerged regarding the immediate response.
According to FBI spokesperson Chris Bavender, the investigation moved rapidly once agents determined a student had “immediate access to firearms.” Working in coordination with local law enforcement, the FBI executed a search and removed all weapons from the student’s residence.
“FBI Indianapolis worked closely with the high school and our local law enforcement partner to remove all firearms from the house, and the student was expelled from school,” Bavender said in a statement.
Despite the severity of the plot, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not filed criminal charges. Because the individual is a juvenile, the matter was handled through school disciplinary measures and firearm removal rather than federal prosecution.
The disruption of the Indiana plot coincides with a spike in “lone actor” extremist threats across the country. Just days prior to this report, federal authorities in North Carolina arrested 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant for a separate ISIS-inspired New Year’s Eve plot, which investigators say had been in development since Sturdivant was a minor.
In Indiana, the FBI’s 2025 report noted several other significant national security successes:
- Foreign Support: The arrest of an individual attempting to travel overseas to support ISIS.
- Domestic Extremism: Mitigation of multiple threats involving racially motivated violence and threats against elected officials.
- Cyber Defense: The freezing of $500,000 in cryptocurrency linked to a major ransomware payment.
The FBI continues to classify the investigation into the school plot as “ongoing.” While the threat has been neutralized, officials are using the incident to remind parents and students to report suspicious online behavior or “concerning changes” in peers.
Timothy J. O’Malley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office, emphasized that the office’s primary mission remains proactive. “These results reflect relentless work by our special agents and intelligence analysts… to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”
