Camilla Jessen
Explosive device ignited outside NYC mayor’s home during anti-Islam protest.
An improvised explosive device was ignited near the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a protest targeting Islam. Authorities say two suspects are now in custody as federal and local investigators examine the incident.
The protest took place outside Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, where the mayor lives with his wife, Rama Duwaji.
Neither of them were home at the time.
Protest and incident
The demonstration was organised on March 7 by right-wing influencer Jake Lang, according to reports. Lang, who previously received a pardon for his involvement in the January 6 Capitol riot, called the event “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.”
Lang has not been charged in connection with the explosive device.
Police say the device was ignited during the protest near the mayor’s residence.
Mayor’s response
Mamdani, who is Muslim, described the protest and the incident as deeply troubling in a statement posted on social media.
“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 added that the violence that followed was unacceptable.
“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.”
Arrests made
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the device was real and not a hoax.
“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,” she said.
“It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Police arrested two suspects identified as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19. As of Sunday evening, they had not yet been formally charged.
Ongoing investigation
Law enforcement sources told PEOPLE the suspects allegedly told investigators they were inspired by ISIS videos they had watched online.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation alongside the NYPD and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Officials also recovered two suspicious items from the Gracie Mansion property and another device found in a nearby vehicle. Police later said the device had been safely removed and residents who were evacuated were allowed to return.
Authorities say there is currently no ongoing threat to the public.
Sources: PEOPLE, NYPD, FBI
