Prosecutors said the pair tried to detonate explosive devices outside Gracie Mansion during dueling protests on March 7.
NEW YORK, NY — Federal prosecutors have charged two Pennsylvania teenagers accused of trying to set off explosive devices during a protest outside Gracie Mansion, saying both later told police they were aligned with ISIS after the failed attack on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The charges turn a chaotic street clash outside the mayor’s residence into a federal terrorism case with potentially life-changing consequences for the two defendants and renewed scrutiny on extremist violence in New York City. Prosecutors say Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, traveled from Pennsylvania, brought improvised devices into the city and tried to use them in a crowd. The criminal complaint says one device contained TATP, a volatile explosive used in past terror attacks, while officials say the investigation is still active and more evidence is being reviewed.
According to the complaint, the case began shortly before noon on March 7, when a protest and a counterprotest gathered outside Gracie Mansion. One event was billed as “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer,” while the opposing gathering was called “Run Nazis Out of New York City.” Investigators said that at about 12:15 p.m., Balat ignited and threw a device toward the area where protesters were standing. Prosecutors said he then ran down the block, took a second device from Kayumi and appeared to ignite that one as well. Court papers say the second device fell near several NYPD officers before Balat tried to flee by jumping a barricade. Officers tackled and arrested him, and Kayumi was also arrested at the scene. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the pair “attempted to detonate two improvised explosive devices amongst the protesters,” framing the episode as an attack on both public safety and peaceful assembly.
What happened next is central to the government’s case. The complaint says that after the arrests, the two men were placed in separate police vehicles and made statements that investigators say tied them to the Islamic State group. Prosecutors allege Kayumi answered “ISIS” when someone in the crowd asked why he had done it. They also say that after waiving his rights at a precinct, he told officers he had watched ISIS propaganda on his phone and that his actions that day were partly inspired by ISIS. Balat, according to the complaint, made unsolicited statements in the police vehicle, then wrote on paper at the precinct that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Investigators also say Balat told officers he wanted an attack “even bigger” than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The defense has not yet had a full chance to test those allegations in court, and the complaint itself states that it contains allegations rather than proven facts.
Officials say physical evidence recovered after the arrests added to the seriousness of the case. The FBI bomb technician’s preliminary examination found that both devices were roughly the size of mason jars, each with a fuse and nuts and bolts attached to the outside with duct tape. Prosecutors say initial testing showed that a white substance inside the first device tested positive for TATP, a highly sensitive explosive sometimes called the “Mother of Satan” because of how unstable it can be. Investigators later found a parked vehicle a few blocks south of Gracie Mansion that was registered to a family member of Balat. Inside, according to the complaint, officers found material resembling hobby fuse, an empty metal can matching the size of one used in the device, and a notebook with handwritten notes. Those notes, prosecutors say, included the phrase “TATP explosive,” a list of ingredients including hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid and acetone, and a parts list that mentioned aluminum cans and bolts. If those items are authenticated, they could help prosecutors argue that the devices were built in advance and were not improvised on the spot.
The protest itself had already drawn sharp attention before the arrests because it unfolded outside the official residence of New York City’s mayor. Authorities said the two demonstrations overlapped in time and brought together people with openly hostile messages. Reuters reported that no one was injured and that police intervention helped prevent the devices from exploding into the crowd. City officials have treated the case as a reminder of how fast public demonstrations can become targets for ideological violence, especially when events involve religion, race or far-right provocation. The mayor was not reported to be harmed, and the complaint does not accuse the defendants of trying to breach Gracie Mansion itself. Still, the location raised the stakes immediately. The case also arrives as federal and local agencies continue to monitor online radicalization and self-directed plots in which suspects are accused of drawing inspiration from overseas extremist groups without direct operational support from them.
Federal prosecutors have filed five counts against Balat and Kayumi: attempted provision of material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, use of a weapon of mass destruction, transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, and unlawful possession of destructive devices. The Justice Department said the most serious count listed in the release carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, while the material-support charge carries up to 20 years. The affidavit was sworn on March 9 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Stein in the Southern District of New York. Prosecutors said the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the FBI and NYPD along with dozens of partner agencies, is leading the investigation. What remains unclear is whether either defendant had contact with a larger network, whether additional explosive material was stored elsewhere, and when the next court appearance will be held. Those answers are likely to emerge through detention proceedings, discovery fights and any later indictment.
There were also signs, investigators say, that the trip into New York had been planned. License plate reader data cited in the complaint showed a vehicle with a New Jersey plate tied to Balat’s family moving east from New Jersey toward upper Manhattan on the George Washington Bridge at about 11:36 a.m., less than an hour before the first device was thrown. The complaint says Kayumi’s mother filed a missing-person report later that day and told police she had last seen him at the family’s Pennsylvania home at about 10:30 a.m. The defendants are from Langhorne and Newtown, communities in Bucks County, Pa., north of Philadelphia. Those details paint a tighter timeline for investigators trying to map how the pair got to Manhattan, what they brought with them and whether anyone else knew where they were going. For now, officials say the case stands as an alleged attempted terror attack that was interrupted before the devices could cause injuries.
The case was at the charging stage Tuesday, with prosecutors pressing ahead on terrorism-related counts and investigators still sorting through seized evidence, video and digital records. The next major milestone is expected to come in federal court as judges consider detention, scheduling and the path toward indictment or plea discussions.
Author note: Last updated March 10, 2026.