Two Pennsylvania teenagers are facing federal terrorism charges after authorities said they attempted to detonate improvised explosive devices during a protest near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Federal prosecutors said the suspects-18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi-were arrested by officers from the New York Police Department on March 7 after allegedly throwing homemade explosive devices into a crowd gathered near the mayor's residence on the Upper East Side. The incident occurred during a demonstration organized by far-right activists protesting against Islam and the city's Muslim mayor.
According to federal court filings, prosecutors have charged the pair with serious offenses including the use of a weapon of mass destruction and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Authorities said the explosive devices failed to detonate, preventing injuries and potentially averting a much larger attack.
Investigators say the suspects traveled from Pennsylvania to New York City with the intent of staging a violent attack at the demonstration. Court filings allege that Balat told investigators he hoped to carry out an attack "bigger" than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Bomb disposal teams later determined the devices contained triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, a highly unstable explosive often referred to as the "Mother of Satan." Authorities said the improvised devices were packed with screws and bolts designed to act as shrapnel if detonated.
Officials recovered multiple suspicious devices during the investigation, according to law-enforcement accounts:
- One improvised explosive device allegedly thrown toward the crowd
- A second device located nearby at the protest site
- A third suspicious object recovered from a vehicle linked to the suspects
The explosives were secured by bomb technicians before they could cause harm. Authorities said the devices' failure to detonate prevented what could have been a mass-casualty event.
Federal prosecutors said investigators are treating the incident as an act of terrorism due to the alleged ideological motivations behind the plot. Authorities also said the suspects acknowledged exposure to extremist propaganda connected to the Islamic State militant group.
Law-enforcement agencies are now examining the suspects' online communications and travel activity to determine whether the alleged attack was coordinated with a broader extremist network or carried out independently. The FBI has launched a wider investigation that includes analyzing the explosive materials recovered from the scene and searching locations associated with the suspects.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a formal statement that the alleged attack reflected more than spontaneous violence. He said the incident was intended to promote extremist ideology through acts of mass violence.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was not at Gracie Mansion at the time of the incident, condemned the attempted attack in a public statement. Mamdani described the incident as "reprehensible" and "the antithesis of who we are" as a city.
The mayor said the city would continue to defend the right to peaceful protest even when demonstrators express views many New Yorkers strongly oppose. Authorities have confirmed that both suspects remain in federal custody without bail while investigators continue to examine whether additional individuals played any role in planning or facilitating the attempted attack.
