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Federal and city authorities in the United States have launched a joint investigation after a homemade explosive device was thrown during clashes between protesters outside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence.
The incident took place on Saturday near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan during a confrontation between far-right demonstrators and counterprotesters.
Police arrested two teenagers at the scene, while federal investigators joined the case amid concerns that the device could have caused serious harm.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said a preliminary analysis by the NYPD bomb squad determined the object was not a hoax or a smoke bomb.
“This device was a genuine improvised explosive that could have caused serious injury or death,” Tisch said.
The FBI confirmed Sunday that its Joint Terrorism Task Force is assisting the New York Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York with the investigation.
Authorities said tensions escalated shortly before noon during rival demonstrations outside the mayor’s residence.
According to police, the anti-Islam protest had been organized by far-right activist Jake Lang. Around 20 people attended the rally, while more than 100 counterprotesters gathered nearby, officials said.
The two groups were separated into designated areas, but confrontations developed as the protest progressed.
Police said one protester associated with Lang’s group used pepper spray against counterprotesters shortly before noon. About 20 minutes later, an 18-year-old counterprotester allegedly threw an ignited device toward the protest area.
Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as the object traveled through the air before it struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers.
Officials said the device did not detonate, and no injuries were reported.
Police identified the two suspects as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, both from Pennsylvania.
According to U.S. media reports, Balat is of Turkish origin. His parents were born in Türkiye and later became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2017.
Kayumi’s parents are reportedly originally from Afghanistan and became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2004 and 2009, according to reporting by CBS News.
Investigators are also reviewing the overseas travel history of both suspects. Balat spent several months in Istanbul between May and August 2025 and returned to the United States from Türkiye earlier this year. Kayumi reportedly traveled to Istanbul for several weeks in July and August 2024 and also visited Saudi Arabia earlier that year.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that the two men told authorities they had been inspired by Daesh, although officials have not publicly confirmed whether terrorism charges will be pursued.
Authorities have not announced formal charges against the pair as of Sunday.
Four additional people were also detained during the unrest, including a protester accused of using pepper spray.
Investigators said the explosive device appeared to be a jar wrapped in black tape and filled with nuts, bolts, and screws. The container also contained a hobby fuse that could be lit.
According to police, the device was slightly smaller than a football and capable of causing serious damage if it had detonated.
Authorities said the suspect retrieved a second device after throwing the first one and began running before dropping it on the street. The second device also emitted smoke but did not explode.
Law enforcement officials told CNN that preliminary inspection suggested the explosive may have contained TATP, a highly unstable compound often associated with improvised explosives.
The investigation widened on Sunday after police identified a suspicious device in a vehicle a few blocks south of Gracie Mansion.
Authorities evacuated nearby buildings while the NYPD bomb squad secured the area and removed the device for further testing. Streets in the neighborhood reopened later that evening.
The FBI said the two suspects remain in custody while federal and city investigators continue to examine the devices and the circumstances surrounding the protest.
Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, condemned both the anti-Islam demonstration and the violence that followed.
“Violence at a protest is never acceptable,” Mamdani said in a statement. “The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal - it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
The mayor added that his administration is monitoring the situation as investigators determine the motive behind the incident.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul also addressed the attack, thanking first responders and warning that those responsible would face consequences.
“There is no place for violence of any kind in our state,” Hochul said. “Those responsible for this cowardly act will be held accountable.”
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