Two Indicted in ISIS-Inspired Attempted Bombing in New York City

Two young men, Ibrahim Qayumi, 19, and Emir Barat, 18, have been indicted on charges related to an attempted bombing at a protest outside the New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s residence last month. Authorities state this incidentwas motivated by ISIS.

On March 7, the two individuals allegedly drove from Pennsylvania to throw live explosives at the protest at the Gracie Mansion. Fortunately, the bombs did not detonate, and no injuries were reported.

They face numerous charges, including conspiracy to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, and transportation of explosives during the commission of a federal crime.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, stated, “Just a few weeks ago, Sheikh Barratt and Ibrahim Qayumi reportedly carried out a terrorist attack on the streets of New York. They attempted to murder multiple innocent victims in the name of ISIS. The brave women and men of the NYPD responded immediately and Barratt and Qayumi were arrested on the spot.”

Evidence suggests detailed planning; investigators found notebooks outlining attack strategies, along with storage units containing bomb-making materials and explosive residue. It was revealed that Barratt had expressed a desire for the attack to be “bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing.”

While being apprehended, Kayumi reportedly responded to a question about the attack by simply saying, “ISIS.”

During a trip to New York, they were recorded discussing plans for an imminent attack. Barratt posed concerns about whether plans would go unnoticed, stating, “What do you think? Are they going to remove the plane for us…over New York?”

Kayumi echoed violent sentiments, saying, “All I know is that I want to cause terrorism, brother. I want to petrify these people.”

The indictment also indicates that forensic analysis of the two bombs—one thrown by Barratt into the protest crowd and one handed to him by Kayumi—revealed they contained explosives.

Following the incident, Mayor Mamdani expressed strong disapproval of such violence, emphasizing that attempts to use explosives against individuals are not just crimes but fundamentally oppose the values of the community.