A device that was set off and hurled outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence during protests on Saturday local time has been identified by the New York Police Department as an improvised explosive device capable of causing severe injuries or fatalities.
The object, described as a jar filled with nuts, bolts and screws, wrapped tightly in black tape and fitted with a fuse, was allegedly thrown by a counter-protester outside Gracie Mansion, the city’s official mayoral residence.
Although the device emitted smoke after ignition, it went out on its own before any detonation occurred, according to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Police initially could not determine the device’s exact nature, prompting the bomb squad to carry out a detailed preliminary examination.
Following the analysis, Tisch said the device was neither a hoax nor a simple smoke bomb but a functional improvised explosive. In a statement shared on X, she said the NYPD Bomb Squad concluded that the device had the potential to cause serious injury or death.
Authorities said the explosive was one of two devices thrown during the confrontation between two opposing protest groups. The second device remains under examination, Tisch noted.
Two individuals were detained in connection with the incident, which took place during a demonstration titled “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” organised by far-right activist Jake Lang outside Gracie Mansion.
According to police, Lang’s gathering involved roughly 20 participants and was met by a much larger group of about 125 counter-protesters who had assembled to oppose the event.
The two people taken into custody were identified as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi. Investigators said Balat fled after throwing the first device and later ignited and discarded another in the street.
Officials stated there was no immediate evidence linking the episode to the United States’ ongoing military operations against Iran, though the investigation is continuing.
Mayor Mamdani criticised the protest led by Lang and strongly condemned the subsequent violence. He said that violence has no place in demonstrations and described the use of an explosive device as criminal, unacceptable and fundamentally opposed to the city’s values.
