Last weekend two explosive devices detonated in New Jersey and Manhattan and there was a third device found in Manhattan that had not been detonated yet. In the days since a suspect was arrested and charged in connection to the event and the F.B.I. asked for help finding two more. There has been lots of speculation as to the motive behind these explosions and whether they were acts of terror. Find out what happened and what is next.
At 9:30 am on Saturday, September 17, an explosive device went off in a garbage receptacle near a charity race.
At 8:30 pm a bomb went off on West 31st Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan injuring 31 people.
At 11:30 pm State Troopers found a third device on West 27th Street between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.
According to The NY Times, the devices were filled with shrapnel and built from pressure cookers, flip phones and Christmas lights that set off an explosive compound.[1]
After the bombings police received a cell phone alert that led to Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, who was found asleep on a bar’s doorway in New Jersey.
After a gunfight with the police officers Rahami was taken into custody.
On Tuesday, Rahami was charged with the use of weapons of mass destruction and bombing a place of public use. He was previously charged with seven counts, including five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. Bail was set at $5.2 million.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court stated Rahami’s motive as stemming from his extremist Islamic ideology.
The complaint said that this attack had been planned for months and even had been practiced in a dry run.
On Wednesday the F.B.I. asked for help to find two unidentified men who had removed an unexploded device from a piece of luggage planted a few blocks from the bomb that exploded.
But were these explosions an act of terror?
On Monday at a news conference Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “We have every reason to believe this was an act of terror.”[2]
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo also said to CNN, “I would not be surprised if we did have a foreign connection to the act.”[3]
As a result of the explosions a higher police presence should be expected.
de Blasio said, “You should know you will see a very substantial NYPD presence this week – bigger than ever.”[4]
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/nyregion/chelsea-explosion-what-we-know-and-dont-know.html?_r=0
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/nyregion/chelsea-explosion-what-we-know-and-dont-know.html?_r=0
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/19/nyregion/chelsea-explosion-what-we-know-and-dont-know.html?_r=0
[4] http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/19/us/new-york-explosion-investigation/
