Luqmaan Khan, a 25-year-old former university student accused of plotting an attack against the university in November 2025, was arraigned in federal court in late April, entering a plea of not guilty.

Khan arrived in the courtroom surrounded by United States Marshals and shackled in a green jumpsuit, alongside three other men awaiting their pleas before presiding Magistrate Judge Eleanor G. Tennyson. 

The courtroom remained calm as Khan and Special U.S. Assistant Attorney Olivia Duke awaited proceedings. Khan continually looked back at his family and others seated behind him before U.S. Marshals instructed him to face forward.

The arraignment comes one week after his federal indictment on a single charge of possession of a machine gun — which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

In November 2025, Khan was arrested in a Wilmington parking lot by the New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD) after officers conducted a traffic stop. 

During the stop, officers ordered Khan out of his vehicle. When he refused to comply, he was arrested, according to court documents.

Inside the Wilmington resident’s truck, officers encountered a .357 caliber Glock handgun loaded with 27 rounds. Officers also discovered three additional loaded 27-round magazines, a loaded Glock 9mm magazine, an armored ballistic plate and a composition notebook.

When officers opened the notebook, it included detailed attack plans against the university’s police department, noting “hard” and “soft” points of entry into the building and identifying a specific University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD) officer as a target.

When the charges were originally filed, the university separated from him and banned him from all campuses.

A federal grand jury indicted Khan on Wednesday, April 16. The charge was for possession of a Glock 19 equipped with a machine gun conversion device.

“The United States has charged Luqmaan Khan with possessing a weapon that could have killed scores of Delawareans in mere seconds,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware Benjamin Wallace said. “And as we have previously alleged, the evidence indicates that Khan was planning to use that weapon, and potentially others, in an attack on the Delaware community.”

Khan’s lawyer, Assistant Federal Defender Conor Wilson, waived his client’s federal detention and preliminary hearings. 

Wilson had previously asked the court to delay Khan’s proceedings to a later date. The indictment, along with the waiving of preliminary hearings, allows the case to move forward more quickly.

Court documents also show ongoing discussions regarding a potential release plan, with more time deemed necessary to ensure conditions meet the court’s standards for “community safety,” according to Delaware Online. 

Khan remains incarcerated and has been since his arrest on Nov. 24, 2025. Khan’s attorney declined to comment.