Man attacks Manhattan immigration court building with fire and pellet gun, injuring three
A 43-year-old former Army veteran set fire to the sidewalk outside 26 Federal Plaza and fired a pellet gun, wounding two government employees and a civilian before being detained.
A former Army serviceman arrived at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan around 8:30 a.m. carrying a cart with an "ICE Off Our Streets" sign, a military-style helmet, gasoline and fireworks. He poured gasoline near an employee entrance, ignited it with a lighter and a firework, and then discharged a pellet-type airsoft rifle at the building, according to the FBI. Federal Protective Service officers and a security contractor subdued him and took him into custody.
The incident injured three people: two federal employees and a civilian who was attending an immigration court hearing. A bystander was grazed by fireworks, and a security officer who tackled the suspect sustained minor injuries. One person was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Assistant Director James Barnacle of the FBI’s New York field office said the suspect, identified as Andrew Arrabaca, 43, made anti-government statements during his arrest and expressed no concern about causing harm. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the sequence of events based on security video, noting that the suspect first lit fireworks, then fired the pellet gun, and finally dumped flammable liquid before the fire started.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the attack, though officials have not labeled it a terrorist act. No charges have been announced as of Monday evening. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the incident was "deeply disturbing" but expressed relief that no one was seriously injured and that the suspect was in custody.