Two young men have been federally charged after authorities say they set off homemade explosive devices at a chaotic anti-Muslim demonstration outside the New York City mayor’s residence on Saturday. Court records state the suspects told police they were motivated by the Islamist militant group Islamic State.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan allege that 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi traveled from Pennsylvania to Manhattan with improvised explosive devices. The devices were used near Gracie Mansion during a small anti-Muslim rally organized by far-right activists that targeted Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
According to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. district court in Manhattan, photographs and video captured Balat lighting a small IED and throwing it toward the anti-Muslim demonstrators. The complaint also states he lit a second device handed to him by Kayumi and then dropped it. Police say they intercepted both smoking devices before they could cause injuries.
Officials described the devices as duct-taped jars filled with screws and bolts and an explosive compound identified as TATP. Law enforcement said no one was hurt during the incident.
After their arrest, prosecutors say the two men expressed allegiance to Islamic State. The complaint reports that Balat requested a piece of paper during a police interview and wrote that he had pledged allegiance to the group. Kayumi told investigators he had watched Islamic State videos on his phone. Balat reportedly told police he wanted to carry out an attack "even bigger" than the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 that killed three people, according to the complaint.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan charged Balat and Kayumi with five federal offenses each. The charges include use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and three counts related to the illegal possession or transportation of explosives.
Representatives for the defendants did not immediately provide comment to the court filings. Mehdi Essmidi, listed as counsel for Balat in the complaint, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kayumi’s lawyer, Michael Arthus, declined to comment, according to court records.
The incident unfolded outside Gracie Mansion while Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife were not at home. The mayor and his spouse had been aware of the planned rally organized more than a week in advance by far-right activist Jake Lang, and were not present during the violence, officials said.
Authorities said more than 100 counter-protesters gathered nearby. Law enforcement described the vast majority of those counter-protesters as peaceful; some of them said they were there to "run Nazis out" of New York.
Speaking outside Gracie Mansion with police on the scene, Mayor Mamdani condemned the violence. While describing the far-right rally as "vile," he also defended the fundamental right to protest, including objectionable speech, and emphasized that New York City will not tolerate violence arising from either protests or counter-protests.
Police noted that this was the first time in nearly a decade an improvised bomb had been deployed in New York City. The complaint references a 2017 incident in which a man who cited Islamic State as inspiration ignited a homemade bomb he had strapped to his body in a passage near the Times Square subway station, wounding only himself.
A third man, Ian McGinnis, was also arrested in connection with events at the rally. State prosecutors and local police said McGinnis appeared in New York state court on Sunday and faces six charges after allegedly squirting pepper spray or a similar chemical irritant into the faces of two counter-protesters opposing the anti-Muslim gathering. The Manhattan district attorney’s office listed third-degree assault among the charges.
New York police said they have been on heightened alert since recent international hostilities between the U.S. and Israel and Iran, but officials declined to assert any link between those events and Saturday’s attempted attack. Investigators continue to examine the motive and the sequence of events as described in the criminal complaint.
What happened
- Two men from Pennsylvania are accused of bringing and igniting improvised explosive devices at a far-right anti-Muslim rally outside Gracie Mansion in Manhattan.
- Law enforcement intercepted smoking devices containing screws, bolts and the explosive TATP; no injuries were reported.
- Authorities say the suspects told police they were inspired by Islamic State and have been charged on multiple federal counts including use of a weapon of mass destruction.
Legal status and next steps
Balat and Kayumi have been charged in federal court in Manhattan and face a range of terrorism-related counts. A separate defendant, McGinnis, faces state charges tied to alleged use of a chemical irritant during the unrest. Court proceedings and investigations are ongoing.
Note on reporting - This article reflects claims and allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements by law enforcement and public officials recorded in court filings. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.