NYPD identified new 'suspicious device' in vehicle near Gracie Mansion
The protest, which happened during Ramadan, called "Stop the Islamic takeover of New York City" was led by Jake Lang, a far-right influencer.
The NYPD "identified a suspicious device" blocks from Gracie Mansion in connection with the ongoing investigation into the improvised explosive device deployed on Saturday.
Police sources say what is believed to be explosive material was recovered from a black Honda civic on the Upper East Side. They say it's connected to the two men in police custody for throwing and igniting devices during a protest outside of Gracie Mansion. One of them was determined to be an explosive device that failed to detonate, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The search closed off multiple blocks on East 82nd Street where the car was located. Members of the NYPD Bomb Squad and a removal robot were used to inspect the car that was later removed from the scene.
"What we are looking at here is without a doubt the possibility for terrorism charges, for at least those two suspects, for what would have been a deadly bombing," said Law Enforcement Analyst Richard Esposito.
He added that the two suspects have an out-of-state residence in Philadelphia.
During a press conference Saturday, Tisch said the devices were smaller than a football, covered with black tape and filled with nails and bolts.
Tisch says the NYPD bomb squad is continuing to investigate the second device.
The two suspects accused of throwing the devices, remain in police custody, 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old tentatively identified as Ibrahim Nikk.
The protest, which happened during Ramadan, called "Stop the Islamic takeover of New York City" was led by Jake Lang, a far-right influencer. He promoted the protest on social media which drew about 20 participants. A counter protest, "Run the Nazis out of New York City, Stand Against Hate" happened simultaneously, drawing roughly 125 participants at its peak.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji reside at Gracie Mansion.
Mamdani's press secretary, Joe Calvello, gave the following statement to News 12:
“The 'Crusade Against Islamification' gathering held outside Gracie Mansion today by Jake Lang, a vile white supremacist, was despicable and Islamophobic. Thankfully, the Mayor and the First Lady are both safe, though the events are a stark reminder of the threats they both face regularly. The Mayor has spoken with Police Commissioner Tisch, and the NYPD is actively investigating the protest, counter-protest, and suspicious devices discovered outside Gracie Mansion."
Mamdani issued a statement saying in part that "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."
