The two suspects of a bombing attempt in New York City sought to kill up to 60 people at a protest, according to an indictment released Tuesday.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were indicted on eight counts for their alleged attempt at a bombing in New York City on March 7. The terrorism attempt happened near Gracie Mansion, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence. The suspects were arrested after throwing their explosive devices, the indictment said.
“All I know is I want to start terror, bro, I want to petrify these people,” Kayumi allegedly told Balat the morning before the attack, according to the indictment.
According to the indictment, Balat directed Kayumi to commit the attack “as soon as you light it,” citing how some of the bomb’s fuses go off quicker than others. Balat also calculated the attack was “gonna kill about 8 to 16 people,” or as many as 30 to 60 people if it was carried out in a crowded area.
Authorities also found multiple items in the vehicle used by the suspects, including a long coil of fuse, a notebook, and a dashboard camera containing three days’ worth of audio and video recordings. Inside the notebook was a page listing “acetone peroxide synthesis” and triacetone triperoxide, also known as TATP, which is “a highly sensitive primary explosive that is colloquially known as the ‘Mother of Satan,’” according to the indictment.
FBI agents also searched a storage unit in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, that Balat had rented days before the attack, where they recovered residue that forensic analysis confirmed contained TATP, according to a press release announcing the indictment Tuesday. The unit also had bomb-making supplies, according to the press release, and a piece of paper containing the handwritten words, “All praise is due to Allah!!! Die in your rage, ya kuffar!”
“These individuals allegedly prepared explosive devices and attempted to detonate them on the streets of New York in the name of ISIS, but their plan failed thanks to the brave police officers who acted quickly,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in the release. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are determined to protect the homeland from terrorism or other acts of violence, and our partnerships are key to carrying out that mission. We also will make sure anyone who tries to harm our citizens in the name of ISIS, or any other terrorist organization, will face justice.”
The Washington Examiner contacted the Department of Justice for comment.
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Emir and Balat’s plot was thwarted in part by the quick reaction of New York Police Department Chief Aaron Edwards and NYPD officer Sgt. Luis Navarro. Edwards went viral for jumping a fence to detain one of the suspects.
Mamdani thanked both officers for their service two days after the attempted attack.