Explosion Outside NYC Federal Building: Suspect In Custody
An “incendiary device” went off outside a building in New York City that houses U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement and other federal agencies, the FBI confirmed Monday, saying a suspect was in custody and the incident resulted in multiple minor injuries.
The FBI said an individual had deployed an “incendiary device” outside a federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, which houses ICE, immigration courts, the FBI’s New York field office and other federal agencies.
The suspect was taken into custody and the FBI said its FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating the incident, which took place around 8:30 a.m. EDT.
Authorities cited by ABC7 report the device consisted of fireworks and a “flammable liquid,” and PIX 11 and CBS News report fireworks in a garbage can were set off and sparked a fire, while NBC New York reports the suspect “wheeled a cart” and “ignited a fire.”
Two minor injuries have so far been reported as a result of the incident, FBI Director Kash Patel said on X on Monday.
NBC New York and ABC 7 describe the suspect as a potential anti-ICE protester and Bloomberg reports they “menaced” pedestrians with a firearm prior to the explosion, though NBC suggests the firearms they possessed were “airsoft” rifles that only fire pellets.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident “deeply disturbing” in a statement Monday, while ICE and the New York City Fire Department have not yet responded to requests for comment and the New York Police Department referred Forbes to the FBI.
Who the suspect is and any potential motive they may have had for the explosion, though multiple outlets report he had a sign saying, “ICE Off Our Streets.”
Mamdani said Monday his staff is “in touch with the NYPD” and would “support the federal investigation,” adding he was “relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody.” His administration “will continue to ensure that every New Yorker is safe in their city — and hold accountable any who threaten that,” the mayor added.
A video published online and shared by news outlets Monday shows a large billow of smoke coming up directly next to 26 Federal Plaza. A team of officers quickly rushed out of the building and appeared to immediately apprehend the suspect, whom the video shows being ushered back into the building wearing handcuffs. A subsequent video reported by ABC 7 showed law enforcement gathered around weapons the suspect appeared to have in their possession, which the outlet identifies as including firearms, a hammer and a knife.
The FBI’s investigation into the incident is still ongoing, with multiple outlets reporting the city’s bomb squad is also involved in the investigation and is inspecting the suspect’s cart. No charges against the suspect have yet been announced.
There’s no ongoing threat since the suspect is in custody, but the city government has warned locals to expect road closures and mass disruptions in the area where the explosion took place, around Worth Street and Lafayette Street in Manhattan’s Financial District.