Two Pennsylvania men have been charged in connection with an incident involving homemade explosive devices during a protest outside the residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, according to federal authorities.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were charged Monday with providing material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction, according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. Authorities said the men also face charges related to transporting explosive materials and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
The suspects remain in custody.
Officials said the charges stem from an incident Saturday during a protest outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor. The demonstration, titled “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City,” drew both anti-Islam protesters and a larger group of counter-protesters.
Police say the two men threw homemade explosive devices into the crowd as tensions escalated between demonstrators and counter-protesters.
The devices did not detonate, and no injuries were reported. Authorities later located another device nearby, which tested negative for explosive material.
However, preliminary testing of one of the devices indicated it contained a volatile explosive compound, according to the criminal complaint.
“These were not hoax devices, nor smoke bombs,” New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a press briefing Monday. “They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Investigators said statements from the suspects indicated the attack was ideologically motivated. Authorities allege the men told investigators they had been inspired by ISIS and referenced past terrorist attacks, including the Boston Marathon bombing.
“These statements, as set forth in the complaint, make clear that this was not random violence,” Tisch said. “This was a planned attack motivated by extremist ideology and inspired by a violent foreign terrorist organization.”
Authorities also said the suspects indicated they had hoped the attack would cause more casualties and suggested additional attacks may have been planned.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Monday that the suspects had been indicted and said the Department of Justice is taking the case seriously.
“The Department of Justice will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation,” Bondi wrote in a statement posted on social media.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is operating in a heightened security environment following the incident and amid broader geopolitical tensions.
State police have increased patrols at sensitive locations, and more than 1,000 National Guard members remain deployed in New York City to help secure key transit hubs and infrastructure.
Mayor Mamdani said he and his wife were not home at the time of the incident. In a statement, he condemned both the attempted attack and the rhetoric surrounding the protest.
“Anyone who comes to New York City to bring violence to our streets will be held accountable in accordance with the law,” Mamdani said during a briefing Monday.
He also said that while he strongly disagreed with the protest outside his home, he believes the demonstrators had the right to assemble peacefully.
“Violence at a protest is never acceptable,” Mamdani said. “The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible.”
The investigation remains ongoing as federal and local authorities continue examining the suspects’ activities and potential connections.
