Gracie Mansion IED Attack: Two Pennsylvania Men Charged With ISIS-Inspired Terrorism Against Mayor Mamdani
Two men from Pennsylvania are facing federal terrorism charges Monday, March 9, after throwing improvised explosive devices outside Gracie Mansion during dueling protests organized by far-right activist Jake Lang. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the incident is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism — one of the most alarming security incidents outside a sitting New York City mayor's residence in modern history.
Jake Lang's Anti-Muslim Protest Outside Gracie Mansion Ignites Chaos
The chaos began Saturday afternoon when far-right influencer and pardoned January 6 attacker Jake Lang organized an anti-Islam protest outside Gracie Mansion under the banner "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City." Lang brought a roasted pig and a goat to the protest, drawing roughly 20 supporters while a counter-protest drew more than 120 people.
Six people were arrested in connection with the violent protests outside Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side. The devices thrown did not detonate fully and no one was seriously injured, though NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the outcome could have been catastrophic.
Tisch said a preliminary analysis found the device thrown was not a hoax device or a smoke bomb, describing it as an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death, with further analysis ordered on a second device found near the scene.
Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi Face Federal Terrorism Charges
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York unveiled charges Monday against 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, both from Pennsylvania. Each is being charged with five counts, including attempted support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and transportation of explosive materials.
The devices consisted of sports drink bottles filled with explosive material placed inside glass jars, wrapped in black tape with nuts, bolts, and screws. The fuse was connected to a firework but could have detonated on impact with the ground, officials confirmed.
Tisch said at a Monday morning press conference alongside Mayor Zohran Mamdani: "I can confirm this morning that this is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism." Balat and Kayumi are being prosecuted in Manhattan federal court and appeared before a judge Monday for the first time since their arrests.
ISIS Recruitment Intensified Since US-Iran War, Law Enforcement Warns
ISIS, al Qaeda, and pro-Iranian groups have intensified recruiting and calls for violence online since the war with Iran started just over a week ago. An intelligence source noted the attack took place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, at a time when impressionable young men prone to violence feel most justified to act.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has taken the lead on the investigation. Search warrants were executed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and a third device is also under investigation.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed there are no indications the men's alleged activities were connected to the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran, though she declined to elaborate further on why authorities believe the suspects were specifically motivated by the Islamic State group.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani Condemns Both the Attack and Jake Lang's Protest
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City's first Muslim mayor, was inside Gracie Mansion at the time of the incident. He thanked law enforcement officers who acted quickly and condemned the original event organized by Lang as rooted in bigotry. "Such hate has no place in New York City," he said. "What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible."
Despite condemning Lang's protest as appalling, Mamdani said he would not move to ban it. "I will not waver in my beliefs that it should be allowed to happen," he said. "Ours is a free society where the right to peaceful protest is sacred. It does not belong only to those I agree with."
Lang returned outside Gracie Mansion on Monday after Mamdani's press conference concluded, saying he supported the NYPD and that Mamdani was going to destroy the city. He has not commented on the arrests or the federal terrorism charges against the two men who threw explosives during his organized demonstration.
