Former University of Delaware Student Arrested With Weapons Cache, Detailed Plans for Campus Attack

Authorities in Delaware say they may have prevented a devastating mass shooting after arresting Luqmaan Khan, a 25-year-old former University of Delaware student, who was allegedly found with multiple weapons, body armour and a handwritten notebook outlining plans for an attack targeting the university campus.

Khan, a US citizen who immigrated from Pakistan as a child, was taken into custody on November 24 after New Castle County police officers encountered him sitting alone in his pickup truck at a closed Wilmington park shortly before midnight. Officers said his behaviour raised suspicions, prompting a search of the vehicle.

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Weapons and “Chilling” Notes Found in Vehicle

Inside the truck, police discovered:

• A Glock .357 pistol with a conversion kit that transformed it into a semi-automatic rifle

• Several 27-round magazines

• Body-armor plates

• A handwritten notebook allegedly containing maps, notes and violent rhetoric

According to investigators, the notebook included a diagram of the University of Delaware Police Department headquarters with marked entry and exit points. Prosecutors said the writings contained phrases such as “kill all – martyrdom” and described what they called “premeditated assault plans and warfare techniques.”

ABC 6 reported that Khan allegedly told authorities that “dying as a martyr was one of the greatest things you can do.” One campus police officer was named in the notes, though officials said the motive remains unclear.

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FBI Search Uncovers Additional Weapons

The FBI searched Khan’s Wilmington residence after the arrest and reportedly found:

• An AR-style rifle with a red-dot sight

• A second Glock pistol equipped with an illegal machine-gun conversion device (“Glock switch”)

• 11 extended magazines

• Hollow-point ammunition

• A tactical vest

None of the firearms or accessories were registered.

The notebook recovered from his vehicle also described additional weapons, potential tactics, and ways to avoid detection after an attack, federal officials said.

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Charges and Ongoing Investigation

Khan has been charged with illegal possession of a machine gun, a federal offense carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors say additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.

Neighbors told Spotlight Delaware that Khan had recently become withdrawn but had no known criminal history.

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Officials Praise Police for Averting Potential Tragedy

Law enforcement officials stressed that the case was uncovered thanks to routine but vigilant policing.

“They just randomly drove up in Canby Park West,” said Master Cpl. Richard Chambers. “Rather than just shooing the person out, they did police work.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Murray said the case highlights effective coordination among agencies.

“This is a quintessential example of federal and state law enforcement collaborating to neutralize a grave threat before the worst could come to pass,” Murray said.

FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul added that swift communication among agencies “prevented potential tragedy.”