Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested after suspected explosive devices were used at a protest outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence, on Saturday, March 7. According to federal charging documents, Balat told authorities he pledged allegiance to ISIS, and Kayumi blurted 'ISIS' upon arrest. The devices were homemade, contained nuts, bolts, and screws for fragmentation, and at least one contained the explosive TATP (triacetone triperoxide).
They were described as jars wrapped in black tape containing nuts, bolts, screws, and a hobby fuse. Preliminary test results determined the devices were not hoaxes or smoke bombs but IEDs that could have caused serious injury or death, with bomb technicians conducting controlled detonations that resulted in a significant explosion. Two men 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.
Balat and Kayumi specifically face charges of transportation of explosive materials; unlawful possession of destructive devices; and interstate transportation and receipt of explosives. The protest was organized by far-right provocateur Jake Lang, a pardoned January 6 rioter, under the banner 'Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City' or similar anti-Islam themes. A counter-protest, 'Run Nazis Out of New York City' or similar, drew about 100-125 people.
Lang had promoted the demonstration and promised to burn a Quran but did not appear to follow through. Authorities allege that Balat lit and threw a first explosive device toward protesters, then retrieved a second device from Kayumi, lit it, and dropped it near police officers before being tackled and arrested. The first improvised explosive device was thrown as anti-Islam protesters clashed with counterprotesters and did not explode.
The same man who threw the first IED lit a second bomb, dropped it on the street, and ran; it also did not explode. Balat was seen on security footage buying a 20-foot roll of firework safety fuse at Phantom Fireworks in Penndel, Pennsylvania, on March 2. Authorities found a car tied to the suspects with another possible suspicious device and materials consistent with explosive devices.
ISIS
The FBI conducted searches, including of a Pennsylvania storage unit, in connection with the investigation. m. during a scheduled demonstration near East End Avenue and 88th Street.
Police are analyzing whether the devices were actual explosives or hoaxes. It is not yet known whether the devices were functional explosives or hoax devices, as it has not been determined if they contained energetic material. Ian McGuiness, 21, was arrested for allegedly using pepper spray on counter-protesters.
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. Levine also stated that 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.
Mayor Mamdani was inside Gracie Mansion during the incident and is safe. It was not immediately clear whether Mayor Mamdani and first lady Rama Duwaji were home at the time of the incident. On Sunday night, Mayor Mamdani hosted Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student arrested by ICE, for a Ramadan dinner at Gracie Mansion.
In a related extremist incident, Alexander Heifler, 26, was arrested in New Jersey for allegedly planning a violent attack against pro-Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, with eight Molotov cocktails found in his home. Mayor Mamdani said Heifler was an alleged member of the Jewish Defense League, designated by the FBI as a violent extremist organization. Separately, Bairon Hernandez, an undocumented migrant, was arrested for allegedly shoving an Air Force veteran onto subway tracks; he had been deported four times previously.
I had watched ISIS propaganda on my phone and that my actions were partly inspired by ISIS.
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. 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 people following the 'If you see something, say something' message.
Contradictions exist in official reports regarding the number of arrests and the functionality of the devices. While initial NYPD statements indicated two people were in custody after suspicious devices were found, Comptroller Levine cited the police commissioner to report six total arrests. Similarly, preliminary tests by the NYPD concluded the devices were IEDs capable of causing serious injury, but other reports note it remains unknown whether they were functional explosives or hoaxes.
The investigation is ongoing, with specific charges beyond those mentioned still under consideration, and the status of a third device found on Sunday, which tested negative for explosive material, remains unclear. How Balat and Kayumi obtained the materials for the explosive devices, and whether there were any accomplices involved in their preparation, are key unknowns. Security measures implemented at Gracie Mansion and other city locations following this incident have not been detailed publicly.
Balat's lawyer, Mehdi Essmidi, portrayed him as a confused teenager who didn't know what he was doing. Balat and Kayumi are from Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia suburbs). Body-worn camera footage shows Kayumi responded with 'ISIS' when asked why he'd done this during his arrest.
No injuries or property damage were reported from the explosive devices. Images from the scene showed smoke and what appeared to be an unexploded homemade device. The entire incident was captured on NYPD Argus cameras.
In an unrelated event, a UFO sighting in Queens, New York, on March 8 involved three strange lights moving erratically in the sky, captured on video.