Two men have been indicted on eight counts for their alleged involvement in a bombing attempt near Gracie Mansion, the residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested after throwing explosive devices at a protest on March 7, according to an indictment released Tuesday. The bombs did not detonate, and no injuries were reported.
The indictment alleges the suspects sought to kill up to 60 people. Kayumi allegedly told Balat the morning before the attack, “All I know is I want to start terror, bro, I want to petrify these people.” The suspects drove from Pennsylvania to New York City for the attack.
Federal prosecutors charged the men with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and other related offenses. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton stated that the suspects carried out a terrorist attack inspired by ISIS. Authorities recovered a notebook detailing alternative attack plans, including targeting festivals and parades, as well as explosive materials in a storage unit.
Balat allegedly told law enforcement he wanted the attack to be “bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing.” The suspects were apprehended immediately after the incident, and no injuries were reported.
The case remains under investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the NYPD.