A routine traffic stop in a darkened public park has uncovered what prosecutors describe as a chilling and well-advanced plot to attack a university police department.
Luqmaan Khan, a 25-year-old student at the University of Delaware, is now in federal custody after police allegedly found a cache of illegal weapons, body armor, and a notebook detailing plans for “martyrdom” inside his vehicle.
The arrest, which unfolded just days before Thanksgiving, has stunned the quiet campus community in Newark, Delaware. It also brings into sharp focus the constitutional and legal lines surrounding the Second Amendment, the definition of a “machine gun,” and the government’s power to preemptively stop a violent act before it begins.
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At a Glance: The Arrest of Luqmaan Khan
- What’s Happening: Luqmaan Khan, a 25-year-old University of Delaware student, was arrested on November 24 after police found him in a closed park with illegal weapons.
- The Alleged Plot: Prosecutors say Khan had a notebook with diagrams of the University of Delaware Police Department, details on entry points, and writings about “martyrdom” and “kill all.”
- The Weapons: Police recovered a Glock handgun modified with a “switch” (making it fully automatic), another modified handgun, a rifle, extended magazines, and body armor from his car and home.
- The Charges: Khan faces federal charges for possession of an unregistered machine gun, which carries up to 10 years in prison.
- The Constitutional Issue: A clear case involving the Second Amendment’s limits on dangerous and unusual weapons (like machine guns) and the Fourth Amendment basis for the initial search that uncovered the plot.
The Traffic Stop That Revealed a Plot
The chain of events began late on the night of Monday, November 24. Officers from the New Castle County Police Department spotted a white Toyota Tacoma parked in Canby Park West after dusk, when the park is closed to the public.
When officers approached, they say Khan appeared “visibly nervous” and refused commands to exit the vehicle. After detaining him for resisting arrest, a search of the truck revealed a disturbing arsenal.
Inside, officers found a loaded .357 Glock handgun equipped with a stabilizing brace, multiple extended magazines, an armored ballistic plate, and a composition notebook.
‘Kill All – Martyrdom’
It was the notebook that transformed a weapons arrest into a national security investigation. According to the criminal complaint filed by the FBI, the handwritten pages contained detailed diagrams of the University of Delaware Police Department, including entry and exit points and the name of at least one specific officer.
Most chillingly, the notes included phrases like “battle efficiency: kill all – martyrdom.”
“During an interview with Khan, police say he told them becoming a martyr was ‘one of the greatest things you can do’ and was one of his goals.” – WHYY News
A subsequent federal search warrant executed at Khan’s home in Wilmington uncovered even more firepower: a .556 rifle with a scope, hollow-point ammunition, and another Glock handgun equipped with a “switch”—a small device that illegally converts a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic machine gun capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute.
The Constitutional Line: When a Gun Becomes a Machine Gun
Khan is charged federally with possession of a machine gun. This charge rests on the National Firearms Act of 1934, a law passed nearly a century ago to regulate dangerous weapons like tommy guns.
Under federal law, the “switch” device itself is considered a machine gun because it allows the weapon to fire continuously with a single pull of the trigger. While the Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, the Supreme Court has long held that this right is not unlimited and does not extend to “dangerous and unusual weapons” like machine guns that are not in common use for lawful purposes.
A Community ‘Frightened’
The University of Delaware has banned Khan from campus, with Interim President Laura Carlson calling the revelations “frightening to all of us.”
Khan, a U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, has no prior criminal record. His arrest is a stark reminder of the often-invisible work of local law enforcement. A simple check of a parked car in a closed park may have prevented a tragedy, stopping a suspect who, according to prosecutors, had the means, the motive, and the plan to carry out a horrific attack.
The case will now move to federal court, where a detention hearing is scheduled for December 11. It will serve as a high-profile test of the justice system’s ability to handle a defendant who allegedly sought to turn a university campus into a battlefield.