Authorities say a device that ignited during protests outside New York City’s mayoral residence was an improvised explosive capable of causing serious harm, as investigators continue examining whether the incident could be linked to terrorism, NBC New York reports.
The device was set off on Saturday outside Gracie Mansion, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani lives. The incident unfolded during opposing demonstrations on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and prompted a large law enforcement response.
According to police, two men were taken into custody after the devices were ignited during the protest activity. Authorities believe the suspects, identified as 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, had traveled to New York from Pennsylvania. Footage from the incident showed the two men running down the street before police tackled them.
Law enforcement officials said the investigation now involves both the New York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Sources familiar with the case said investigators are examining potential extremist motivations after one of the suspects referenced ISIS during conversations with authorities.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a preliminary examination by the department’s bomb squad confirmed the seriousness of the device.
“The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death,” Tisch said in a statement posted on social media.
Police say the first device was lit and thrown toward a protest area shortly after midday. Witnesses reported seeing smoke as the object landed near a barricade separating the two groups before it extinguished itself a short distance from officers.
Authorities say the same suspect attempted to ignite a second device after taking it from another man before dropping it nearby. No injuries were reported.
Investigators later expanded the search to a vehicle believed to belong to the suspects. On Sunday afternoon, the NYPD Bomb Squad deployed a robot to inspect the car parked several blocks away, and officers temporarily evacuated nearby buildings after another suspicious item was discovered inside.
The protests had been sparked by a demonstration organized by conservative influencer Jake Lang and a much larger group of counterprotesters. Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, were inside Gracie Mansion at the time. In a statement Sunday, Mamdani condemned the protest and the violence that followed.
“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are,” he said.
He also addressed the explosive device that was ignited during the demonstration.
“Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
Police said six people were arrested in total during the protest, including the two individuals accused of handling the explosive devices. The investigation remains ongoing.