Suspects who allegedly threw explosives outside NYC Mayor Mamdani's residence indicted
The suspects charged with igniting homemade bombs outside Gracie Mansion last month were indicted Tuesday.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, who are both from Pennsylvania, were arrested after the chaos unfolded on March 7 outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence.
Each are charged with five counts, including attempted support to a designated foreign terrorist organization (ISIS), use of a weapon of mass destruction, and transportation of explosive materials, according to the federal criminal complaint.
They have been in federal custody since the incident. Their arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
IEDs found outside Gracie Mansion
The incident happened when an anti-Islam protest and counterprotest called Run the Nazis Out of New York City/Stand Against Hate drew more than 100 participants.
NYPD responded to the scene and separated the groups, but tensions escalated, and an individual from the initial protest used pepper spray against the counter-protesters.
Then, a counter-protester, identified as Balat, allegedly lit and threw an ignited device toward the crowd before running away and retrieving a second device from Kayumi. Balat then allegedly lit that device and ran with it before dropping it.
An attorney for one of the accused said Balat and Kayumi are from different parts of Pennsylvania and don't know each other.
Another suspicious device was found the day after in a car about three blocks south of Gracie Mansion. Testing revealed that one of the devices deployed contained triacetone triperoxide, known as TATP. It's a homemade explosive that is dangerous and highly volatile, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
NYPD Commissioner says they were inspired by ISIS
"As Kayumi was being placed into an NYPD vehicle following his arrest, a person in the crowd asked why he had done this. As shown on NYPD body-worn camera footage referenced in the complaint, Kayumi responded with ISIS," Tisch said.
Both Balat and Kayumi waived their Miranda rights. Balat also wrote a statement declaring his allegiance to the Islamic State, Tisch said.
"[Balat] also told investigators that he hoped to carry out an attack even bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing, which he noted resulted in 'only three deaths,'" she said.
In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, in part, that investigators "have uncovered evidence revealing the alleged meticulous planning by the defendants in their attack, including a notebook with detailed attack plans and a storage unit containing explosive residue and bomb-making materials."
