Explosive thrown outside NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani's house: Here's everything what happened so far

Two teenagers from Pennsylvania are in custody after homemade explosive devices were ignited outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence. 

FBI is investigating the incident as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.

The dramatic incident occurred on Saturday, March 7, when protests outside Grace Mansion turned violent, leaving law enforcement scrambling to secure the area.

What happened at Gracie Mansion?

Around 12:39 p.m. Saturday, as duelling protests clashed outside the mayor’s home, a video footage captured an 18-year-old Emir Balat throwing an ignited device towards a police barrier.

The object, which is identified as smaller than a football and wrapped in black tape, struck the barrier and extinguished itself just feet from officers.

Following the first incident, a second device from 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi was retrieved and lit. Both were arrested at the scene.

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed on Monday, March 9, that the investigation revealed that one of the devices contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP).

TATP is a “dangerous and highly volatile homemade explosive” used in terrorist attacks globally.

“These were not hoax devices or smoke bombs,” Tisch stressed. “They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death.”

Who are the suspects?

Suspects are identified as Emir Balat (18) and Ibrahim Kayumi (19), both of whom were from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Both are now questioned by the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force.

As reported by CNN, the suspects admitted to being inspired by ISIS.

Balat, who is a U.S. citizen with his Turkish-born parents in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. While Kayumi’s Afghan-born parents live in nearby Newtown.

What about the third device?

On Sunday, March 8, police discovered a Honda Civic on Manhattan’s Upper East Side linked to the suspects.

Inside the vehicle, a robot was found, identified as “another possible suspicious device and materials consistent with the first two explosives,” Tisch said.

Nearby buildings were evacuated as the bomb squad secured the scene.

Later, the device tested negative for explosive material.

How did protests escalate?

The violence occurred during a protest against Islam, arranged by far-right social media personality Jake Lang, who is a pardoned January 6th rioter. Lang’s group of about 20 protesters was outnumbered by over 100 counter-protesters who gathered to "Drive the Nazis Out of New York."

Things escalated around noon when a Lang associate used pepper spray on the counter protesters. Just 20 minutes later, the first explosive was launched.

Three others were arrested, including a 21-year-old Ian McGinnis, who was arrested for pepper spray use, as well as three others for disorderly conduct.

Where was Mayor Mamdani?

During the incident, New York’s first Muslim mayor was home with his wife, Rama Duwaji, at Gracie Mansion, but was unharmed.

While responding to the situation, Mamdani condemned the anti-Islam protest as “rooted in bigotry and racism” while calling the violence “even more disturbing.”

What happens next?

The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force continues its investigation alongside the NYPD and federal prosecutors; both suspects are in custody as authorities chase leads, review videos, and conduct interviews across Pennsylvania and New York.