New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday that the case involving two men accused of throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near Gracie Mansion is being investigated as an “act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.”
Speaking during a press conference alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Tisch said the suspects, Amir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, will be prosecuted in federal court in Manhattan.
She said a criminal complaint outlining the charges and factual allegations is expected to be made public later Monday.
Tisch declined to discuss specific details of the ongoing investigation, citing the pending federal prosecution, but confirmed that authorities are treating the case as terrorism-related.
The announcement comes after Fox News previously reported that federal agents served search warrants in New Jersey and Pennsylvania tied to the IEDs thrown during a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” protest.
An NYPD source told Fox News that the devices hurled into the crowd were packed with nuts, bolts and screws, and contained a chemical substance inside a taped canister fitted with a fuse.
Balat and Kayumi, who were arrested on Saturday, remained in custody as federal teams searched their homes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, according to federal sources. Investigators also executed a warrant at a related address in New Jersey.
Other federal sources said the two suspects allegedly made pro-ISIS statements while in custody.
Investigators are examining their past travel, including trips to Turkey and potentially other locations known as terror training grounds. The FBI is also looking into whether the two suspects became “self-radicalized.”
Mamdani told reporters that he and his wife were not home when the protest unfolded outside his residence.
He praised the swift response by NYPD officers, saying their actions prevented what “could have become far more dangerous.”
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Mamdani said a third suspicious device was later discovered inside a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st and 82nd street, prompting limited evacuations before it was safely removed.
“Anyone who comes to New York City to bring violence to our streets will be held accountable in accordance with the law,” the mayor said.
