Two Bucks County teens – one of whom was a Bucks student – are being charged with terrorism after attempting an “ISIS inspired attack” on Saturday in front of Gracie Mansion in New York, authorities said.
The two suspects have been identified as Emir Balat, 18, of Langhorne and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, of Newtown. The two young men were charged for attempting to detonate a homemade bomb aimed at a anti-Muslim protest titled “Stop The Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch confirmed that the pair confessed to attempting a copycat attack similar to the Boston Marathon Bombing from 2013. That attack left three people dead with about 500 others injured.
When officials asked about being influenced by the Boston bombing, Balat responded that he was attempting something even bigger.
Officials also confirmed that the homemade bombs were wrapped in bolts and nails with an explosive chemical widely used by international bomb-makers. Although the bomb was thrown into the crowd of protestors and police officers, the homemade devices did not detonate.
The incident is under investigation by the FBI in both New York and Pennsylvania.
Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani, the first NYC Muslim mayor. He was not inside the mansion during the attack, according to CNN.
Both men are facing five federal charges, including Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction, Transportation of Explosive Materials, and Unlawful Possession of Destructive Devices.
“This was not random violence. This was a planned attack, motivated by extremist ideology and inspired by a violent foreign terrorist organization,” Tisch said at a New York press conference on Monday afternoon.
Balat is a Neshaminy High School student whose parents originated from Turkey and were granted asylum by the United States in 1998. Kayumi is a recent Council Rock North High School graduate whose parents originated from Afghanistan. Bucks officials said Kayumi has been a part-time student at the college since Fall 2024 and was withdrawn on March 9.
A lawyer for Balat, Mehdi Essmidi, told news outlets that his client had never engaged in acts of violence before and that he was only three classes away from graduating. He claimed that the two teens did not know each other. “They’re strangers as far as I know,” he said.
The New York anti-Muslim protest was planned by far-right influencer Jake Lange. Lange was also a Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol rioter who was recently pardoned by President Trump. This protest was not the first of its kind as Lange also hosted an anti-Muslim protest in Minneapolis in February which also drew a large crowd of counter-protesters.
“This was a vile protest rooted in white supremacy. I am the first Muslim mayor of our city. Anti-Muslim bigotry is nothing new to me, but let me also be clear about something else; New York city will never tolerate violence,” Mamdami said at Monday’s press conference. “Two men came from Pennsylvania and attempted to bring violence to New York City.”
The two men were being held without bail after their arraignment Monday afternoon.
Three others were taken into custody but were released without charges.
Both suspects are due back in court in April.