The New York City Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that the device lobbed at a group of Christian anti-Islam protesters — which was thrown by an 18-year-old man who shouted “Allahu Akbar” — was indeed an explosive device capable of serious bodily harm. The announcement comes after terrorist sympathizers attempted to claim the incident was a “hoax.”
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the device was indeed an improvised explosive device (IED) that could have killed several protesters and NYPD officers.
“The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death,” Tisch confirmed in an X post. Tisch further noted that testing is being conducted on a second device, which was lobbed at a group of NYPD officers.
“I want to again thank the brave members of the NYPD who ran towards the danger without hesitation and quickly apprehended the suspects,” she added. Sunday’s confirmation came after an initial investigation by the NYPD Bomb Squad, which analyzed the device recovered at the scene.