By Tiffany Williams –
Two young men from suburban Pennsylvania now sit behind bars after what federal authorities describe as an ISIS-inspired attempt to unleash mass carnage in the middle of a chaotic protest outside the mayor’s residence in Manhattan — an attack investigators say could have killed or maimed numerous people if the devices had detonated.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were ordered held without bail after appearing in federal court Monday following their arrests at a tense protest outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of Zohran Mamdani.
Authorities say the two men brought improvised explosive devices to the demonstration and attempted to detonate them in the crowd — devices investigators say were packed with explosive material and shrapnel designed to cause maximum casualties.
Federal prosecutors say both suspects openly declared their allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State after their arrest.
The charges are severe. Balat and Kayumi face federal counts including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. The weapon-of-mass-destruction charge alone carries the possibility of life in prison.
And according to investigators, the alleged motive behind the attack was chilling.
Authorities say Balat told investigators he wanted to carry out an attack even larger than the bombing that rocked the Boston Marathon bombing — a terror attack that killed three people and injured hundreds.
“No, even bigger. It was only three deaths.”
Those words, investigators say, were Balat’s response when law enforcement asked whether he was trying to replicate the Boston Marathon bombing.
If the devices had detonated, officials say the result could have been catastrophic.
The attack unfolded Saturday afternoon during dueling demonstrations outside Gracie Mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. One rally, titled “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer,” was organized by supporters of far-right activist Jake Lang, who has sharply criticized Mayor Mamdani.
Facing them across police barricades was a far larger counterprotest called “Run the Nazis Out of New York City / Stand Against Hate.”
As tensions escalated and demonstrators shouted across barricades, investigators say Balat suddenly ignited an explosive device roughly the size of a mason jar and hurled it toward the crowd.
Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke trailing behind the device as it flew through the air before striking a barrier and landing just steps from police officers.
Miraculously, the device extinguished itself before exploding.
Authorities later determined the device contained triacetone triperoxide — known in counterterrorism circles as the “Mother of Satan.”
The volatile chemical compound, commonly referred to as TATP, is notoriously unstable and has been used in numerous terrorist attacks around the world over the past decade.
Investigators say the device was constructed with a fuse and packed with nuts and bolts taped to the exterior — a crude but deadly design intended to spray lethal metal fragments through a crowd if detonated.
Instead of fleeing after the first device failed to explode, investigators say Balat ran down the block and met Kayumi, who handed him a second explosive device.
Balat allegedly ignited the second device before dropping it near a group of New York police officers.
Seconds later, he attempted to flee.
Officers tackled him after he jumped over a barricade.
Kayumi was arrested shortly afterward.
Neither device detonated.
But authorities say the danger was very real.
An FBI bomb technician who examined the explosives concluded the devices were capable of causing serious injuries or death.
Officials say a third device discovered later is still under investigation.
After the arrests, the suspects allegedly made statements that stunned investigators.
While being placed in a police vehicle, Kayumi reportedly shouted a single word when asked why he had done it.
“ISIS.”
At the police precinct, authorities say Balat requested paper and pen. He then allegedly wrote a declaration pledging loyalty to the Islamic State group.
“All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu kuffar! Emir B.”
“Kuffar” is an Arabic term referring to non-believers or infidels.
Authorities say the phrase “Die in your rage” is a slogan associated with ISIS propaganda.
Investigators also say Balat made additional statements while being transported to the precinct.
“this isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet . . . We take action! We take action!”
And then another statement that authorities say underscores the danger of radicalized lone actors.
“if I didn’t do it someone else will come and do it.”
Officials say both suspects later admitted they were inspired by ISIS ideology.
Kayumi allegedly told investigators that he had watched ISIS propaganda videos on his phone and that the terrorist group had partly inspired his actions.
He also reportedly admitted he was uncomfortable holding the explosive devices earlier in the day — an admission investigators say suggests the plot may have been improvised and poorly executed.
But law enforcement officials say the intent appeared clear.
“These were ISIS-inspired actions, and it’s chilling that they wanted to do something more than the Boston Marathon,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.
Investigators say the two men drove from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, to New York City on the morning of the attack.
An automated license plate reader captured their vehicle entering the city from New Jersey less than an hour before the explosives were thrown.
Kayumi’s mother had reported him missing earlier that morning, telling authorities she had last seen him around 10:30 a.m.
After the arrests, investigators located the suspects’ vehicle a few blocks from Gracie Mansion.
Inside, authorities say they discovered additional evidence pointing to preparation for explosive attacks.
The search reportedly uncovered a hobby fuse, a metal can similar to the container used in the device, and a notebook filled with handwritten notes.
Among the notes were lists of chemicals and components that could be used to construct explosives.
One page reportedly included the words “TATP explosive.”
Another listed chemical ingredients including hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, and acetone.
Yet another page contained a list of materials including aluminum cans and boxes of bolts.
Federal agents have since executed additional search warrants in Pennsylvania as part of the ongoing investigation.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the probe.
On Sunday, heavily armed agents conducted searches in Bucks County neighborhoods connected to both suspects.
At one location, federal agents used a megaphone to call occupants outside before entering the property.
Bomb technicians were also seen searching a storage facility in Langhorne.
Authorities have not disclosed what evidence, if any, was recovered during those searches.
Officials say neither suspect had a prior criminal record.
Both come from suburban communities outside Philadelphia.
Balat is a senior at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, though school officials confirmed he had been enrolled in a virtual learning program since September and had not attended in-person classes during that time.
Kayumi graduated from Council Rock High School North in 2024.
Their defense attorneys offered little explanation for the alleged attack during Monday’s court proceedings.
Balat’s attorney, Mehdi Essmidi, described his client as a teenager dealing with personal difficulties.
“There’s a lot to figure out,” Essmidi told reporters.
Asked directly whether he believed his client was a terrorist, Essmidi responded:
“I believe he’s 18 and he doesn’t have any idea what he’s doing.”
Kayumi’s attorney, Michael Arthus, focused instead on the intense publicity surrounding the case.
He urged prosecutors to avoid statements that could influence potential jurors.
For federal investigators, however, the case underscores what counterterrorism officials have repeatedly warned about for years — the continuing threat posed by extremist propaganda reaching young people online.
ISIS, despite losing its territorial “caliphate” in the Middle East years ago, continues to encourage followers worldwide to carry out attacks independently.
Those attacks often involve crude weapons and improvised explosives.
And in this case, investigators say the suspects appear to have attempted exactly that.
Authorities say Balat openly told investigators he hoped the attack would eclipse the Boston Marathon bombing in scale.
That bombing — carried out in 2013 using pressure cooker bombs packed with shrapnel — remains one of the most infamous terrorist attacks on American soil since the September 11 attacks.
The fact that the suspects allegedly referenced it as a benchmark has deeply alarmed investigators.
Federal officials say the charges against the two men reflect the seriousness of the alleged plot.
Balat and Kayumi are charged with:
attempted provision of material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization
use of a weapon of mass destruction
transportation of explosive materials
interstate transportation and receipt of explosives
and unlawful possession of destructive devices
Combined, the charges carry potential sentences ranging from decades in prison to life.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement Monday warning that the federal government will aggressively prosecute the case.
“This was an alleged ISIS-inspired act of terrorism that could have killed American citizens. We will not allow ISIS’s poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation—our law enforcement officers will remain vigilant, as they were when these devices were brought to a protest.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche echoed that warning.
“These men allegedly sought to inflict mass casualties in service to ISIS with the hope of exceeding the carnage of the Boston Marathon bombing.”
FBI Director Kash Patel also praised the officers who intervened before the explosives could detonate.
“The FBI and our partners have no tolerance for terrorist organizations or those inspired by them to engage in attacks.”
Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg said the design of the devices demonstrated a clear intention to cause widespread casualties.
“This alleged act of terrorism, including the packing of metal shrapnel into explosive devices, reveal an intent to cause multiple deaths or serious injuries.”
Officials say the investigation remains ongoing and additional evidence may emerge as forensic analysis continues.
For now, investigators say one fact stands above the rest.
Two explosive devices packed with volatile chemicals and metal shrapnel were thrown into a crowd during a volatile political protest in America’s largest city.
And according to federal authorities, the only reason the day did not end in bloodshed was sheer luck — and the swift response of police officers who tackled the suspects before the devices could do what they were designed to do.