Dec 11, 2017 - Politics & Policy
NYC terror suspect in custody after subway blast
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The scene following an explosion near Times Square on Monday. Photo: Andres Kudacki / AP
27-year-old Akayed Ullah is in custody after he intentionally detonated a low-tech pipe bomb in a subway station near Times Square on Monday. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the explosion was "an attempted terrorist attack."
The Department of Homeland Security said Ullah came to the U.S. in 2011 after presenting a passport displaying an F43 family immigrant visa. Ullah "is a Lawful Permanent Resident from Bangladesh who benefited from extended family chain migration," said DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton.
Details of attack:
- The New York Police Department said the explosion occurred in an underground walkway that runs through the Port Authority bus terminal and Times Square along 42nd Street.
- NYC Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said during a press conference that Ullah had attached the "low-tech" pipe bomb to himself with a “combination of Velcro and zip ties." It's unclear whether Ullah was attempting a suicide bombing.
- O'Neill also said Ullah acted alone and no other devices had been found.
- Following the blast, Ullah was taken into custody and transported to Bellevue Hospital where he was treated for severe burns to his hands and abdomen. NYPD said three others suffered minor injuries.
- No formal announcement has been made on what's next, but both federal and local law enforcement officials have indicated that Ullah will be prosecuted in federal court in Manhattan, reports the New York Times. The attack is also being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
What they're saying:
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: "This is New York. The reality is that we are a target for people who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom. We are not going to allow them to disrupt us."
- Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen: The Trump administration is taking “appropriate action to protect our people and our country ... The administration continues to adopt significant security measures to keep terrorists from entering our country and from recruiting within our borders."
- White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders: : "We know that the president's policy calls for end to chain migration .. had [Trump's] policy been in place, then the attacker would not have been allowed to come into the country."
