NYPD investigates ‘ISIS-inspired’ explosives near Gracie mansion
New York City police have begun investigating a device found near Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s home.
The FBI announced on Tuesday, March 10, that it had found “explosive residue” in a storage facility in Pennsylvania as part of an investigation into two teenagers accused of throwing homemade bombs during a protest in front of New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s official residence.
In a federal complaint unsealed on March 9, authorities said teens Ibrahim Qayumi, 19, and Emir Barat, 18, told police after their arrest that they were inspired by Islamic State. The two were taken into custody on March 7 after New York City police said they attempted to ignite two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during a dueling demonstration near the Gracie Mansion, the residence of Mamdani, Manhattan’s first Muslim mayor.
The teens, all from Pennsylvania, were indicted on March 9 on federal charges of attempted support of ISIS and use of a weapon of mass destruction, according to court records. According to authorities, Barratt and Qayumi traveled to Manhattan from suburban Philadelphia to carry out an “ISIS-inspired” attack.
Barratt, a high school senior, told investigators he wanted an “even bigger attack” than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, which killed three people and injured hundreds, according to the complaint. The indictment states that Qayumi claimed to be affiliated with ISIS.
The FBI discovered the explosives while executing a search warrant at a storage facility in Middletown Township, a Philadelphia suburb, the USA TODAY Network’s Bucks County Courier Times reported. The FBI and Middletown Township Police Department confirmed late March 9 that the explosives had been safely detonated.
“Yesterday’s search of a storage unit believed to be related to the Gracie Mansion incident revealed explosive residue,” the FBI’s New York Field Office said in a post on X. “FBI Special Agent Bomb Disposal Technicians and a local bomb squad conducted a controlled detonation to ensure the safety of law enforcement and others in the area.”
Improvised explosive device ignited during clash between anti-Islam demonstrators and counter-protesters
Police said the March 7 incident occurred during a clash between anti-Muslim demonstrators led by conservative influencer Jake Lang and a large number of counter-demonstrators. Tensions between the two groups escalated, and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said two IEDs were ignited outside Gracie’s residence.
Tisch said one of the devices contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a “dangerous and highly volatile homemade explosive used in IED attacks around the world.” Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s deputy chief of intelligence and counterterrorism, said the potential damage from the explosives could have been substantial.
Mamdani said both Barrat and Qayumi, who authorities initially described as counter-protesters, were seen on video throwing explosives at protesters. The mayor said the explosives were designed “to injure, maim, or worse.”
The mayor and New York City’s first lady, Rama Duwaj, were not at home at the time of the incident.
Tisch noted that investigators “have no information” linking the explosives to the United States and Israel’s ongoing war with Iran. After the incident, New York state authorities increased patrols of places of worship and deployed National Guard troops to transportation hubs in response to the “heightened threat environment.”
Another suspicious device near Gracie’s mansion deemed ‘not a threat’
As part of the investigation, NYPD discovered a third “suspicious device” in a vehicle near the scene on March 8. Police froze the area around the vehicle and used robots to secure the scene while officers evacuated a limited number of nearby buildings.
Authorities said the car was associated with Barratt and Kayumi, and the devices matched two other homemade explosive devices. Police ensured the equipment was safely removed and those who had been evacuated were allowed to return to their homes.
The New York Police Department said in a series of posts on Police later determined the device was “not a threat” and left the scene.
Contributors: Christopher Cann and Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY. Joe Chavaglia and JD Mullane, Bucks County Courier Times
