Man Arrested After Smoke Device Explodes Outside Manhattan Federal Building
Police detained a suspect who deployed a homemade incendiary device near 26 Federal Plaza, causing a brief shelter-in-place order and minor injuries to two people.
A suspect was taken into custody on Monday after releasing a smoke-producing device outside 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. Law enforcement described the device as a makeshift incendiary composed of fireworks and a flammable liquid, which was carried on a cart marked with a protest slogan against ICE.
The building was placed under a shelter-in-place directive as a precaution while officers secured the area. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force opened an investigation, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said two individuals—one federal employee and one civilian—suffered minor injuries and were treated and released.
NYPD officials noted that the cart also contained airsoft rifles and that the suspect appeared to be linked to prior anti-ICE activism. The investigation remains ongoing.