2 men are charged with using a weapon of mass destruction after IEDs are tossed near NYC mayor’s home
Two Men Charged in Connection to IEDs Tossed Near NYC Mayor’s Residence
Law enforcement has charged two individuals with supporting a terrorist group and utilizing a mass destruction weapon after homemade bombs were hurled during demonstrations near the home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday. Court records indicate that Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, are also accused of moving explosive substances, possessing destructive devices, and transporting explosives across state lines.
According to body-worn camera footage referenced in the legal filing, Kayumi was placed into an NYPD vehicle Saturday following his arrest. As he was being transported, a bystander in the crowd inquired about his motives, and Kayumi responded, “ISIS,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch reported at a Monday news briefing. When asked to confirm his statements, Kayumi stated he had “viewed ISIS propaganda on his phone and that his actions that day were partially influenced by ISIS,” Tisch noted.
“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,” Balat claimed during his statement in a police car, as per the complaint.
Law enforcers later questioned Balat about his familiarity with the Boston Marathon bombing and whether he aimed to replicate it. Balat replied, “No, even bigger. It was only three deaths,” according to the legal report. “These were ISIS-inspired actions, and it’s alarming that they sought to exceed the Boston Marathon, surpassing even three fatalities,” said Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, during the Monday conference.
The first improvised explosive device was launched during a confrontation between anti-Islam protesters and counterprotesters. The same individual who hurled the IED later ignited a second bomb, dropped it on the street, and fled, the police commissioner stated. Neither device detonated. Preliminary tests confirmed they were not prank devices or smoke bombs, but rather explosive devices capable of causing severe harm, Tisch emphasized.
NYPD and FBI bomb specialists carried out controlled detonations of the two IEDs from Saturday’s event, resulting in a “major explosion,” said Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, during the afternoon press event. “It’s essential to highlight that if these IEDs had operated as intended by the perpetrators, they could have led to death or significant damage,” Weiner remarked.
A third explosive device, discovered on Sunday, is under examination “in relation to” Saturday’s occurrence. Tisch mentioned that this device showed no signs of explosive material. The anti-Islam protest on Saturday was led by a far-right instigator and was outmatched by a gathering of over 100 counterprotesters, officials stated.
The suspects entered the city via the George Washington Bridge and were detained approximately an hour later after the bombs were deployed, Tisch explained. She noted they have no criminal past. Mehdi Essmidi, Balat’s legal representative, told CNN Monday that the defendant is a high school student who recently turned 18 and resides with his parents in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a suburb roughly an hour north of Philadelphia.
Essmidi highlighted that it remains unclear how Balat arrived in New York for the incident and is still investigating the matter. Balat, a US citizen, has no known prior connection with Kayumi, and the suspects share no existing links through education, family, or employment, Essmidi added. The family has supported law enforcement efforts, allowing searches at both suspects’ residences, Essmidi stated. “They are ordinary Americans who have worked closely with authorities. There has been no resistance, no problems,” he concluded.