NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Del. - A University of Delaware student is facing several charges after police discovered illegal guns and what investigators described as materials related to a potential attack, following a traffic stop in Canby Park West on Nov. 24.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, 25-year-old Luqmaan Khan was charged on Nov. 26 with illegally possessing a machinegun. The arrest followed an investigation by the New Castle County Police Department and the FBI.
The University of Delaware, in a statement, said Khan is enrolled as an undergraduate student but has been separated from the University.
Court documents state that around 11:47 p.m. on Nov. 24, New Castle County police officers were conducting a property check in Canby Park West when they saw a white Toyota Tacoma parked in the area after hours. When officers stopped the truck, they identified the driver as Khan and attempted to remove him from the car after developing probable cause. He refused to comply and resisted arrest before being taken into custody.
A search of Khan’s car uncovered a .357 caliber Glock handgun loaded with 27 rounds and inserted into a microplastic conversion firearm brace kit. Police also found three more loaded 27-round magazines, a loaded Glock 9mm magazine, a ballistic plate and a marble notebook.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, 25-year-old Luqmaan Khan was charged on Nov. 26 with illegally possessing a machinegun. (New Castle County Police)
The notebook contained handwritten plans discussing the use of guns in an attack, strategies for avoiding law enforcement detection and references to a University of Delaware police officer. A layout labeled “UD Police Station” with entry and exit points was also drawn inside.
On Nov. 25, the FBI and county police executed a search warrant at Khan’s Wilmington home. There, they recovered a Glock 19 handgun fitted with an illegal machinegun conversion device known as a “switch,” a .556 rifle with a scope and red dot sight, eleven extended magazines, hollow point rounds and a tactical vest with ballistic plates.
Khan is charged with possessing a machinegun, a federal offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. If convicted, a federal judge will determine the sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Julianne E. Murray, acting U.S. attorney for Delaware, said in a statement, “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."
FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul praised the “coordinated and swift collaboration” that led to Khan’s arrest. Colonel James J. Leonard III of the New Castle County Police Department added that the patrol officers’ vigilance helped prevent a potentially violent situation from escalating.