New York [US], March 8 (ANI): The New York City Police Department (NYPD) identified two suspects after an attempted bomb attack outside Gracie Mansion, the residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, CNN reported.
Footage posted by the independent newswire Freedomnews showed one suspect handing a device to another just before an arrest outside the mansion. Police said the recovered item was a jar wrapped in black tape containing nuts, bolts, screws and a fuse.
The two arrests were part of a larger police action that left six people detained following a chaotic clash between rival protest groups at the official residence.
The violence began when an anti-Islam demonstration organized by right-wing influencer Jake Lang encountered a larger counter-protest during Ramadan, and two “suspicious” devices were ignited and deployed, CNN reported.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said the items, described as slightly smaller than a football, are being analyzed to determine whether they were functional improvised explosive devices or hoaxes. She told reporters, “Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as it travelled through the air before it struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers.”
Investigators are examining whether the devices contained “energetic material” to establish the level of threat. The confrontation reportedly escalated shortly after midday when a participant in the anti-Islam group allegedly used pepper spray on counter-protesters.
About 20 minutes later, an 18-year-old counter-protester allegedly lit and threw an ignited device toward the protest area; it landed on a crosswalk. That suspect then ran to a 19-year-old associate to retrieve a second device, which he also ignited before dropping it on the street as officers moved in. Both men were among the six people taken into custody.
Mayor Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, were reported safe. A mayoral spokesperson called the Lang-organized demonstration “despicable and Islamophobic” and said it was a stark reminder of the threats they regularly face.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she had been briefed and emphasized that while the state respects peaceful protest, there is “zero tolerance for hate or violence.” Police have said there is no current indication the incident is connected to international conflicts. (ANI)
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