NYPD Releases Chilling Details On Explosive Device Thrown At Christian Protesters

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that the device lobbed at a group of Christian anti-Islam protesters — which was thrown by an 18-year-old man who shouted “Allahu Akbar” — was indeed an explosive device capable of serious bodily harm. The announcement comes after terrorist sympathizers attempted to claim the incident was a “hoax.”

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the device was indeed an improvised explosive device (IED) that could have killed several protesters and NYPD officers.

“The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death,” Tisch confirmed in an X post. Tisch further noted that testing is being conducted on a second device, which was lobbed at a group of NYPD officers.

“I want to again thank the brave members of the NYPD who ran towards the danger without hesitation and quickly apprehended the suspects,” she added. Sunday’s confirmation came after an initial investigation by the NYPD Bomb Squad, which analyzed the device recovered at the scene.

The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or…

— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) March 8, 2026

The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon near East End Avenue and East 87th Street, adjacent to Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

One group consisted of several anti-Islam protesters organized by right-wing activist Jake Lang, while a larger group of counter-protesters also showed up at the scene. Clashes between the two groups occurred prior to the bomb-throwing incident, which resulted in two additional arrests.

Not long after the event started, a man ran up to the crowd and shouted “Allahu Akbar” before throwing the explosive device into the crowd. Smoke could be seen emanating from the device, prompting initial reports that the man merely tossed a “smoke bomb.”

Police then rushed in to apprehend the suspect after he grabbed another device from a 19-year-old accomplice. That device landed just in front of a group of NYPD officers before the suspect was apprehended.

At the protest outside Gracie Mansion in NYC, a shocking moment was captured on video. In the exact second the incident unfolded, an Arab male can be seen running toward activist Jake Lang while yelling “Allahu Akbar,” holding what appears to be an explosive device before… pic.twitter.com/nyoKTYjEaZ

— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) March 7, 2026

Mamdani’s NYC. pic.twitter.com/9Z8tqmFHAc

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 8, 2026

The suspects were identified as Emir Balat, 18, of Pennsylvania, who lit and threw the first device, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, of Pennsylvania, who provided a second device to Balat.

Balat then lit the second device and attempted to flee while holding it, dropping it on the street before being apprehended by NYPD officers. Both individuals are U.S. citizens, according to a federal law enforcement source who spoke with the New York Post.

The devices were described as jars wrapped in black tape, smaller than a football, containing nuts, bolts, screws, and a hobby fuse. Neither device fully detonated, and no injuries were reported from the incident.

The NYPD is collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to investigate the matter. Federal officials have joined the probe due to potential terrorism links, with multiple law enforcement sources indicating that the two arrested suspects admitted to being inspired by ISIS, according to a report from CNN.

The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is actively working with the NYPD to assess any broader threats or motivations behind the incident.

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