Additional Coverage:
- University of Delaware student allegedly mapped out attack on campus police; illegal weapons recovered (foxnews.com)
University of Delaware Student Charged in Alleged Plot Against Campus Police
New Castle County, DE – A University of Delaware student, Luqmaan Khan, 25, has been federally charged after authorities uncovered what the Justice Department describes as detailed plans to attack the University of Delaware Police Department. Khan was arrested last week following a traffic stop in New Castle County.
During the traffic stop, officers reportedly discovered a .357 caliber Glock handgun loaded with 27 rounds, three additional 27-round magazines, an armored ballistic plate, and two notebooks. According to the Justice Department, one of these notebooks contained handwritten plans for an attack on campus authorities.
“In the handwritten notebook, Khan discussed additional weapons and firearms, how they could be used in an an attack, and how law enforcement detection could be avoided once an attack was carried out,” the DOJ stated. The notebook allegedly referenced a University of Delaware Police Department member by name and included a layout of a building, identified as the “UD Police Station,” with marked entry and exit points. Federal prosecutors further detailed that the notebook contained warfare techniques, assault plans, and a diagram of the university police department.
A subsequent FBI search of Khan’s home in Wilmington yielded a Glock 19 9mm handgun equipped with an illegal machinegun conversion device, commonly known as a “switch.” Authorities also recovered a .556 rifle with a scope and red dot sight, eleven additional extended magazines, hollow-point ammunition, and a two-plate tactical vest with a ballistic plate.
Khan faces a federal charge of illegally possessing a machinegun, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.
Interim University of Delaware President Laura Carlson addressed the campus community in a letter, confirming Khan as an undergraduate student. “The University has temporarily separated the student from the University, including a ban from all UD campuses while legal matters are being resolved.
We have been working closely with law enforcement throughout this matter and are sharing this information with you now that we have been cleared to do so,” Carlson stated. She assured the community that “there are no known or immediate threats to the University of Delaware community,” while acknowledging that authorities released “evidence of a plan that targeted the University of Delaware Police Department.”
“This is frightening to all of us,” Carlson added.
Acting U.S. Attorney Julianne E. Murray commended the collaborative effort, stating, “This case is a quintessential example of federal and state law enforcement collaborating to neutralize a grave threat to Delaware before the worst could come to pass.”