Former Army soldier arrested after setting fire at Manhattan federal building
A 43-year-old ex-soldier was detained after igniting a fire and firing a pellet gun at a federal complex in lower Manhattan, injuring three people.
Federal authorities arrested Andrew Arrabaca, 43, after he set off fireworks and poured an accelerant on the stairs of the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan on Monday morning. The site houses offices of the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Arrabaca, who was armed with two axes, a machete, three knives and fireworks, also fired an air-soft pellet gun toward the building, according to FBI New York Assistant Director James Barnacle.
Three individuals suffered minor injuries, including an immigrant attending a status hearing, two government employees and a security officer who tackled the suspect. A bystander was also grazed. The incident occurred at a location that has seen frequent demonstrations against immigration policies.
Arrabaca, a former Army specialist who served from 2001 to 2005, made anti-government and anti-ICE statements during the attack, the FBI said. He was taken into custody and faces charges related to the arson and weapon possession.