The New York Police Department (NYPD) and the FBI are investigating the throwing of an improvised explosive device near Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence as an act of "ISIS-related terrorism." The incident occurred over the weekend during protests. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, preliminary tests determined that these were not prank devices or smoke bombs.
"They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death," Tisch stated during a press conference in front of the residence. She explained that one of the devices contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a dangerous and highly volatile homemade explosive. The commissioner noted they currently have no information connecting the investigation to events abroad in Iran.
Two individuals have been detained for their alleged involvement in the clash, though they have not been formally charged. Mayor Mamdani mentioned that neither he nor his wife was at the residence during the attack.
"Two men, Amir Balat and Ibrahim Kayyumi, traveled from Pennsylvania and attempted to bring violence to New York City. It is suspected that they came here to commit an act of terrorism," the mayor noted. He praised the police for handling a chaotic situation that could have quickly become much more dangerous.
The events took place on Saturday during a tense day when an anti-Muslim protest led by right-wing agitator Jake Lang coincided with a counter-protest supporting the Islamic community during the holy month of Ramadan. Mamdani described the anti-Muslim march as a "vile protest rooted in white supremacy."
For residents of the Upper East Side neighborhood, the day turned into a nightmare. "It was absolute chaos. We didn't know if it was a real bomb or what was going to happen. Suddenly we saw the smoke, and the police started screaming for us to get back," one witness told the press.
On Monday, protest organizer Jake Lang returned to the mayor's residence, this time accompanied by only two people. "They are not going to silence us with false narratives. We are here to protect our city from what we consider an ideological occupation, and what happened is the result of a city that has lost control," Lang declared to the media.
