Storage facility raided as feds investigate alleged ISIS-inspired NYC bomb throwers
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. — Federal investigators raided a storage facility as part of the probe into two suburban Pennsylvania teens accused of carrying out an ISIS-inspired terror attack by allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices outside the New York City mayor’s home.
The suspects, 18-year-old Emir Balat of Langhorne and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi of Newtown, traveled from Bucks County to Manhattan on Saturday, where police said they ignited and hurled explosive devices into a protest crowd outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence.
On Monday evening, a federal source confirmed to Fox News that a search warrant was executed at a self-storage facility called Public Storage in Langhorne. The source said that the search is in connection to the ongoing terror investigation. Helicopter video captured authorities at the large storage facility on Monday.
A series of photographs captures the critical moments of an alleged ISIS-inspired bombing attempt outside the iconic Gracie Mansion.
The first image shows Balat holding what authorities later identified as Device-1 during the protest outside Gracie Mansion and then proceeding to throw it into the crowd of protesters and counterprotesters during the "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" rally. According to the complaint, the device was approximately the size of a mason jar and had an attached fuse. Investigators later determined that it contained TATP and had nuts and bolts affixed to the exterior with duct tape.
In a second photo, Balat is shown receiving Device-2 from Ibrahim Kayumi after the first device was allegedly thrown, authorities say. According to the complaint, Balat allegedly ran down the block and grabbed the second device from Kayumi before igniting it. Prosecutors allege he then dropped Device-2 near several NYPD officers.
Another image shows Balat running from the area after Device-2 was dropped near several NYPD officers. According to the complaint, after he allegedly ignited the second device, he dropped it near the officers, ran away, and jumped over a barricade. The photograph captures Balat mid-flight as officers move toward the device, moments before he was tackled and arrested.
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As federal prosecutors unsealed charges Monday, Kayumi’s father said he had no warning.
"If he’s going to be five minutes late, he calls," Khayer Kayumi told The New York Times, describing how the family began searching for his son when he didn’t return home Saturday afternoon. "We didn’t know what was going on."
According to the federal criminal complaint, Kayumi’s mother filed a missing person report just hours before the alleged attack. The report states she last saw him at their Pennsylvania residence at approximately 10:30 a.m. that morning.
A neighbor of Ibrahim Kayumi in Newtown confirmed to Fox News Digital that she lives next door to the family but declined to comment further. She said she did not wish to speak about Kayumi.
Violeta Sadauskiene, a neighbor of terror suspect Emir Balat, said she has known the Balat family for about 15 years, describing the family as "lovely people."
"There was zero suspicious stuff going on at their house," she told Phillyburbs.com. "Everybody was just in shock. Everyone. I could not believe it when I heard it. We thought it must be a mistake."
Sadauskiene told the outlet that Balat's parents were friendly and hardworking.
Balat is currently a 12th-grade student in the Neshaminy School District, a district spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital. The district declined to comment on whether he had any prior disciplinary history. Kayumi graduated in 2024 from Council Rock High School North, school officials confirmed.
In a message to families, Council Rock officials said they have been in communication with law enforcement and that there is no information indicating any threat or connection to the school district. Schools remain open and operating as normal.
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Both districts serve residential Bucks County communities outside Philadelphia — quiet suburbs now linked to a federal terrorism investigation.
There is no publicly reported prior criminal history for either suspect. Authorities have not said whether Kayumi was enrolled in college or employed at the time.
Balat lived with his parents in Langhorne. His parents were born in Turkey and became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2017. Kayumi’s parents immigrated from Afghanistan and became citizens in 2004 and 2009.
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According to the complaint filed in the Southern District of New York, investigators recovered a notebook from a vehicle parked blocks from the mayor’s home listing materials associated with triacetone triperoxide (TATP) production, including hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid and acetone, along with aluminum cans and bolts.
License plate reader data placed the vehicle crossing the George Washington Bridge less than an hour before the first device was allegedly thrown, prosecutors said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed Monday that the devices were not smoke bombs or hoaxes, but real improvised explosive devices capable of causing serious injury or death.
"This is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism," Tisch said.
Police later located a vehicle tied to the suspects and recovered a third suspicious device. That device ultimately tested negative for explosive material.
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According to the federal complaint, Balat allegedly wrote and signed a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State while at a precinct station after his arrest.
The complaint states he wrote: "All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegiance to the Islamic State," followed by additional statements expressing hostility toward non-believers. Prosecutors also allege he wrote, "We take action."
The complaint further alleges that Balat stated he and Kayumi wanted to carry out an attack "bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing," which he allegedly noted resulted in "only three deaths."
Federal prosecutors charged the suspects with material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and use of a weapon of mass destruction.
Retired FBI supervisory special agent Jason Pack told Fox News Digital that the charging language is significant.
"Material support requires prosecutors to show the defendants knowingly supported a designated terrorist organization," Pack said. "The selection of charges signals how prosecutors are framing the ISIS nexus evidence."
The complaint also alleges Balat made spontaneous statements in a patrol vehicle. Kayumi allegedly made statements captured on bodycam video.
Two federal law enforcement sources confirmed to Fox News that investigators are examining whether the suspects may have become "self-radicalized."
Authorities are reviewing digital evidence, online activity, communications and travel history. Officials have not alleged direct operational contact with ISIS, but are working to determine whether the suspects were inspired by extremist propaganda consumed online.
Pack noted that TATP is frequently associated with attackers who learned bomb-making methods online rather than through formal overseas training.
"When you see TATP in a domestic case, it often points to online radicalization," he said.
Officials say there is no evidence at this time linking the attack to overseas hostilities.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said New York remains in a "heightened threat environment" following the alleged ISIS-inspired attack.
State Police are increasing patrols at sensitive sites statewide, Hochul said, and more than 1,000 National Guard members remain deployed to protect major transit hubs across New York City.
The Pennsylvania arrests come just months after federal authorities disrupted another alleged ISIS-inspired plot involving teenagers and young adults from suburban communities in New Jersey and Michigan.
That case involved suspects accused of sharing ISIS propaganda and allegedly plotting violence while communicating in encrypted group chats.
There is no evidence the two cases are connected. However, both investigations highlight long-standing warnings from federal officials about the threat of young men radicalized online far from traditional conflict zones.
Pack said investigators are running parallel tracks.
"The criminal case builds the prosecution," he said. "The intelligence side examines travel, communications, online activity and whether anyone else was involved."
Mamdani released a statement reacting to the charges against Balat and Kayumi.
"Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi have been charged with committing a heinous act of terrorism and proclaiming their allegiance to ISIS. They should be held fully accountable for their actions," he wrote. "We will continue to keep New Yorkers safe. We will not tolerate terrorism or violence in our city."
Fox News' Bill Melugin, Alexis McAdams, and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.