According to police, no injuries or property damage have been reported at this time.
NEW YORK – Two people are in custody after reports of a suspicious device near Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani, police said on March 7.
The New York City Police Department said in a statement that New York City police officers were on the scene for a demonstration planned for the area near East End Avenue and 88th Street in Manhattan, near the mayor’s mansion. Around 11:40 a.m., officers were alerted to two suspicious devices in the area. According to police, no injuries or property damage have been reported at this time.
Jake Lang, a mobster and conservative influencer who was pardoned on January 6, was participating in an anti-Muslim demonstration outside Gracie’s mansion at the time.
Agence France-Presse reported that a group of counter-demonstrators also gathered at the location where Lang had planned to protest. Images from the protest showed a man holding what appeared to be a homemade device that emitted smoke but did not explode. The man was then seen being taken into custody.
Two people involved were taken into custody as the investigation continues, according to the NYPD. Police have not specified who was detained.
Mamdani becomes New York City’s first Muslim mayor. The incident occurred during Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar.
It is not clear whether the mayor or first lady Rama Dowaj were at Gracie’s residence. A Mamdani spokesperson referred questions to the NYPD.
(This story has been updated to change or add photos and videos, and to add new information.)
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Contact us via email (emcuevas1@usatoday.com) or Signal (emcuevas.01).
