The FBI says it discovered explosive residue inside a storage unit in Pennsylvania while investigating two men accused of bringing homemade bombs to a protest outside the residence of New York City’s mayor.
Authorities allege that Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, told police after their arrests on Saturday that they were inspired by the Islamic State group, according to law enforcement officials and details contained in a criminal complaint.
Investigators say the two men, who live in suburbs outside Philadelphia, traveled together to New York City and attempted to carry out the attack near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan.
Late Monday night, FBI bomb technicians carried out controlled detonations on explosive residue discovered at a public storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, close to where Balat’s family resides. According to posts on social media, the operation was conducted as part of the ongoing investigation.
The Middletown Township Police Department said Tuesday that the detonations caused “several loud bangs” but emphasized that there was no danger to local residents. The FBI also confirmed that multiple searches connected to the case had been carried out.
Authorities say many questions remain unanswered about the suspects’ motivations, their planning and how well the two young men knew each other.
Court records show that Emir Balat’s father, Selahattin Balat, originally came from Turkey and was granted asylum in the United States in 1998 before later becoming a US citizen. In a bankruptcy filing submitted in 2009, he listed his occupation as a painter and said he had three children.
Emir Balat is currently a senior at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne. A spokesperson for the school said he switched to a virtual learning program in September and had not attended in-person classes since then.
His attorney, Mehdi Essmidi, said his client had “complicated stuff going on” in his personal life, but did not provide further details. Essmidi also said he did not believe Balat and Kayumi had known each other for very long.
Kayumi lives in Newtown, roughly 4 miles (6.5 kilometers) north of Langhorne. According to a spokesperson, he graduated from Council Rock High School North in 2024.
His lawyer remained silent during a court hearing on Monday and declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press.
Prosecutors and law enforcement officials say the two suspects drove to New York City on Saturday and joined a group of counterprotesters gathered near a small anti-Muslim rally organised by far-right Christian nationalist Jake Lang.
Photographs taken by journalists appear to show Balat throwing a device with a lit fuse that was emitting smoke. Investigators later determined that the device contained the explosive chemical TATP. The object also contained nuts and bolts but failed to detonate and went out without injuring anyone.
According to the criminal complaint, Balat then dropped another device near police officers and attempted to flee but was quickly tackled and arrested.
Both Balat and Kayumi were ordered held without bail following their court appearance. They face several charges, including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. They were not required to enter a plea at that stage.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday that investigators have found no evidence linking the attempted attack to the ongoing war in Iran.
After Balat was taken into custody, police officers asked him whether he had intended to carry out something similar to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people.
“No, even bigger,” Balat replied, according to a criminal complaint.
