(The Center Square) — Two Pennsylvania men accused of throwing homemade bombs during a far-right protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home Saturday said they were inspired by ISIS, according to a court complaint.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were charged Monday with providing material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction, according to Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. The men, who remain in custody, also face charges of transportation of explosive materials and unlawful possession of destructive devices, authorities said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters Monday afternoon the suspects had other attacks planned and referenced the Boston Marathon bombing, allegedly telling investigators they had hoped for a bigger body count.
"These statements, as set forth in the complaint, make clear that this was not random violence," she said. "This was a planned attack, motivated by extremist ideology and inspired by a violent foreign terrorist organization."
The arrests stem from Saturday's “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" protest outside Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, organized by Jake Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter and far-right influencer. The bombs were tossed into the crowd as anti-Islam protesters clashed with a much larger crowd of about 100 counter-protesters, according to the NYPD.
Neither exploded. Another device was found nearby, which tested negative for explosives.
But authorities said preliminary testing results of one of the devices shows it contained "a highly volatile explosive material used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade," the complaint says.
“Preliminary test results determined that these were not hoax devices, nor smoke bombs," Tisch said Monday. "They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death."
Attorney General Pam Bondi took to social media to announce that Balat and Kayumi were indicted Monday afternoon, saying the Department of Justice "will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation. Our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement Monday afternoon saying New York is in a "heightened threat environment" as the investigation into the "terrorist attack" near Gracie Mansion and U.S. military action in Iran continue.
The governor said state police are increasing their presence at sensitive sites while more than 1,000 members of the National Guard remain deployed on state active duty "protecting critical transit sites across New York City."
"We will keep New Yorkers safe and updated," she said.
Mamdani and his wife weren't home when it happened, but he issued a statement saying the protest was "rooted in bigotry and racism” and that "hate has no place in New York City" but that the attempted bombing was "even more disturbing."
“Anyone who comes to New York City to bring violence to our streets will be held accountable in accordance with the law," he said at Monday's briefing. "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."
Mamdani said while he is used to discrimination as the city's first Muslim mayor, he believes that the right-wing protesters had a right to demonstrate outside of his residence.
"Anti-Muslim bigotry is not new to me, and it's not anything new to the 1 million or so Muslim New Yorkers who know this city as our home," he said in seperate remarks. "While I found this protest appalling, I will not waver in my belief that it should be able to happen. This is a free society."
