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Man Arrested After FBI Claims He Set Off Explosion Outside NYC Immigration Office
A man was taken into custody after authorities said he set a fire, ignited fireworks and waved a gun outside a federal building in Manhattan that houses immigration courts.
According to the FBI in a report published by The New York Times on Monday, July 20, the incident unfolded around 8:30 a.m. outside 26 Federal Plaza.
“This morning an individual deployed an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza,” the FBI said in a statement, per the NYT. “The individual has been taken into custody.”
The identity of the man has not been released, nor a possible motive.
The New York City Police Department said officers recovered a firearm after responding to the scene. One person was taken to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the NYPD, is investigating the incident.
Videos shared on social media by Freedom News TV, showed white smoke billowing outside the building as officers rushed toward the scene before apprehending a man on the sidewalk.
The federal building houses the New York field office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as federal immigration courts. It’s frequently been the site of protests and arrests involving immigrants and asylum seekers.
