The two terror suspects accused of trying to bomb a protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence last month, in what authorities have described as an ISIS-inspired attack, were indicted on Tuesday, according to federal prosecutors.
Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, and Emir Balat, 18, are accused of throwing live explosive devices into a protest outside Mamdani’s Gracie Mansion residence on March 7, after driving from Pennsylvania. The bombs failed to detonate and nobody was injured.
Both were charged with eight counts: conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, provision and attempted provision of material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, carrying of explosives during the commission of a federal felony, transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
“As alleged, just weeks ago, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi carried out a terrorist attack on the streets of New York,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement. “They sought to murder multiple innocent victims in the name of ISIS. The brave women and men of the NYPD responded immediately, and Balat and Kayumi were arrested on site.”
“Since their attack, our partners at the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force have uncovered evidence revealing the alleged meticulous planning by the defendants in their attack, including a notebook with detailed attack plans and a storage unit containing explosive residue and bomb-making materials,” he added.
When speaking to law enforcement, Balat allegedly said he wanted the planned attack to be “bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing.”
After Kayumi was arrested and waiting to be placed inside an NYPD vehicle, someone from the surrounding crowd yelled at him and asked why he carried out the attack.
“ISIS,” he allegedly responded.
The pair also made comments recorded on dashcam in which they discussed soon carrying out the attack as they traveled to New York, according to the indictment.
“What do you think? Are they going to remove the airplanes for us … over New York? Are they going to stop them? If we do the attack and the bombs go off and everything?” Balat asked.
“Just can’t wait for that bomb to go off and his freaking head, his body to get split in half bro, dead,” he added.
Kayumi said, “All I know is I want to start terror, bro” and “I want to petrify these people.”
A forensic analysis of two unexploded devices — one that Balat tossed into the crowd of protesters and another that Kayumi handed to Balat before Balat dropped it on the ground near NYPD officers — found that both contained explosives, according to the indictment.
Mamdani said after the attempted bombing last month 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,” the mayor said at the time.
