Former Army Soldier Arrested After Fireworks and Pellet Gun Attack at Manhattan Federal Building
A former U. S. Army soldier was arrested after detonating a homemade incendiary device and firing a pellet gun outside the federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. ABC7 New York reported that the device, which contained fireworks and flammable liquid, exploded, prompting a brief shelter-in-place order and causing minor injuries to two people. NBC New York confirmed that two individuals were injured in the blast.
PBS identified the suspect as a 43-year-old former Army mechanic who then ignited a fire at the site and discharged a pellet-type airsoft rifle. The BBC added that the attack wounded three people, including two government employees and a civilian. Fortune detailed that the veteran set fire to the sidewalk and fired the pellet gun, resulting in the three injuries. The Gothamist later reported that a federal grand jury indicted the man on arson charges for the fireworks, the air-soft rifle discharge and the flammable-liquid fire. AP News noted that he was charged with arson and other offenses following the incident.
