Two teenagers, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were escorted into a Manhattan federal courtroom on Monday afternoon, shackled and handcuffed, according to multiple media reports. They face charges of providing material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction after homemade bombs were tossed during protests near Mayor Zohran Mamdani's home on Saturday, court documents show. Authorities allege Balat and Kayumi are accused Islamic State supporters who traveled from Philadelphia’s suburbs to New York City on Saturday with plans to detonate explosives outside the mayor's home.
Balat and Kayumi allegedly confessed to being inspired by ISIS, authorities said. According to federal charging documents, Kayumi blurted out as he was being arrested that 'ISIS' was the reason for his conduct. The indictment states that Balat told authorities he pledged allegiance to ISIS, and Kayumi asserted affiliation with the Islamic State. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Kayumi said he had watched ISIS propaganda on his phone and that his actions were partly inspired by ISIS after waiving his Miranda rights. In a police car, Balat made statements saying, 'This isn't a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the Prophet. We take action ... If I didn't do it someone else will come and do it,' Tisch reported. Balat told authorities that he hoped to accomplish something 'even bigger' than the Boston Marathon bombing, which had three deaths, according to the complaint. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said these were ISIS-inspired actions and chilling that they wanted to do something more than the Boston Marathon.
Each device was the size of a jar, with nuts and bolts attached, and one contained TATP explosive, multiple media reports indicate. The device emitted smoke and flames and contained bolts and screws, struck a barrier but did not explode, according to multiple reports. Preliminary test results determined the devices were not hoax devices nor smoke bombs, but improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Tisch added that the devices could have caused serious injury or death, and one contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP). NYPD and FBI bomb technicians conducted controlled detonations of the two IEDs from Saturday's protest, resulting in a significant explosion, said Rebecca Weiner, NYPD deputy commissioner. Weiner said had the IEDs functioned as intended, they could have caused death and destruction. The devices were described as jars wrapped in black tape containing nuts, bolts, screws and a hobby fuse.
The protest was organized by Jake Lang, a far-right influencer and pardoned January 6 rioter, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated. Far-right provocateur Jake Lang and 20 acolytes traveled to Mamdani’s residence, Gracie Mansion, for a rally called “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City”, multiple media reports say. A counter-demonstration – “Run Nazis Out of New York City” – drew about 100-125 protesters to Gracie Mansion, according to multiple reports. Lang had promoted the demonstration and promised to burn a Quran at the site, though he did not appear to follow through, research sources indicate. The first improvised explosive device, which did not explode, was thrown as anti-Islam protesters clashed with counterprotesters, according to research sources.
Federal authorities allege that Balat lit and threw an “explosive device” toward the area where protesters were gathered, then ran and got a second device from Kayumi, lit it, and dropped it near police officers before being tackled and arrested. Counter-protester Amir Balat allegedly lit and threw a device at the anti-Islam group, then got a second device from an accomplice, lit it, and dropped it, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The same man who threw the first IED lit a second bomb, dropped it on the street and ran, and it also did not explode, the police commissioner reported. Two people are in custody after suspicious devices were found outside Gracie Mansion during an anti-Islam demonstration Saturday morning, the NYPD said. Officers were on scene for a scheduled demonstration near East End Avenue and 88th Street when alerted to two suspicious devices at approximately 11:40 a.m., with no injuries or property damage reported, the NYPD stated. Police found a car tied to the suspects with another possible suspicious device and materials consistent with explosive devices, Tisch said.
Mayor Mamdani said in a statement that Jake Lang organized a protest rooted in bigotry and racism, and condemned the violence and explosive device attempt. Tisch said it was unclear if the devices were actually explosives or hoaxes. Tisch also said there were no indications the attack was connected to the ongoing war in Iran. New York City Comptroller Mark D. Levine said the two individuals arrested for use of ignitable devices were part of a counter-protest, not Lang's group, citing NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Had the IEDs functioned as intended, they could have caused death and destruction.
Authorities have ruled out, at this stage, any link to the conflict in the Middle East. A third device found Sunday is being investigated in connection with Saturday's incident and tested negative for explosive material, the NYPD and Tisch reported. The specific motives and affiliations of the suspects, including any direct links to ISIS or other extremist groups, are still under investigation. Whether Mayor Mamdani and his family were home at the time of the incident is uncertain, as some sources report ambiguity; it was not immediately clear whether Mayor Mamdani and first lady Rama Duwaji were home at the time, research sources indicate.
Six people were arrested in total in connection with the incident, including a member of Lang's group who used pepper spray on a counter-protester, according to Comptroller Mark D. Levine. Ian McGuiness, 21, was arrested for allegedly using pepper spray on counter-protesters, multiple media reports say.
Mayor Mamdani hosted Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil for a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion on Sunday night, multiple reports indicate. The mayor was inside the residence at the time of the incident, according to the police department.
Amir Balat was seen on security footage purchasing a 20-foot roll of firework safety fuse at Phantom Fireworks in Penndel, Pennsylvania, on March 2, according to Phantom Fireworks Company Vice President William Weimer. Images from the scene showed smoke and what appeared to be an unexploded homemade device, research sources report. The entire incident was captured on NYPD Argus cameras, Comptroller Mark D. Levine said.
New York City police closed several streets and a park near Mayor Mamdani's official residence on Tuesday over a suspicious device, before clearing it and determining it posed no threat, research sources indicate. The NYPD said East End Avenue between 85th and 87th streets and East 86th Street between York Avenue and East End Avenue were closed, and Carl Schurz Park was shut. The device was later cleared and found to be non-threatening, with the NYPD stating it was an instance of everyday New Yorkers following the 'If you see something, say something' message.
The incident came days after police determined that a device thrown during a protest outside Gracie Mansion was an improvised explosive capable of causing serious injury or death, with two men arrested and in custody, research sources report. No injuries or property damage were reported from Saturday's event, an NYPD spokesperson said. New York officials and the FBI launched an investigation into an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism after the attempted use of explosives near Mayor Mamdani’s residence, multiple media reports indicate. The FBI conducted multiple searches, including a Pennsylvania storage unit, and tests are being performed on recovered devices, the FBI said.