Everything We Know About The Suspected NYC Terrorists

Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, are accused of attempting to throw homemade bombs into a crowd of people and police officers outside Gracie Mansion in New York City on Saturday.

Officers quickly arrested the duo after one of the bombs was thrown. By Saturday evening, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch addressed the public, confirming that the devices were “a bit smaller than a football, [appeared] to be a jar wrapped in black tape, importantly with nuts, bolts, and screws along with a hobby fuse that could be lit.”

The devices — in Balat’s own words — were intended “to carry out an attack bigger than the Boston Marathon,” which Balat noted caused “only three deaths.” From Pennsylvania, Balat and Kayumi reportedly traveled to New York City to carry out their attack. After Balat was arrested on Saturday, authorities located a car registered to Balat’s family member and found footage of the vehicle crossing the George Washington Bridge into New York City at 11:36 a.m. on Sunday.

Balat and Kayumi lived ten miles from each other in Pennsylvania. Balat is enrolled at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Kayumi graduated from Council Rock High School in 2024. Balat’s lawyer, Mehdi Essmidi, claimed to reporters that the men did not know each other prior to the attack: “They’re strangers, as far as I know.” He added that they are in different age groups.

An official from Neshaminy High School shared with The Daily Wire said Balat was enrolled in the district’s virtual academy and had not attended in-person classes since September. Essmidi said, “He’s finishing school remotely because he has only like three classes left to do.”

When arrested, both Balat and Kayumi referred to ISIS in recorded post-arrest statements. Balat pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State on a piece of paper at the police detention center, and Kayumi said he was affiliated with ISIS and watched ISIS propaganda on his phone.

Authorities have since searched Balat and Kayumi’s devices, as well as their homes. Balat lived in Langhorne in a home estimated to be worth $653,000, and Kayumi lived in a home worth $2.25 million. It is unclear whether Kayumi continued to live in that home after he graduated from Council Rock.

The FBI also searched a storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, on South Flowers Mill Road. The FBI said it was conducting a court-authorized search in connection with Balat and Kayumi’s terrorism case.

Kayumi’s parents were originally from Afghanistan and became naturalized citizens in 2004 and 2009.

Both Balat and Kayumi traveled internationally in the last two years. Balat left the United States for about four months, traveling to Istanbul, Turkey, from May 6, 2025, to August 26, 2025. In January of this year, Balat left the country, again traveling to Turkey. Like Balat, Kayumi also went to Istanbul, but in July and August of 2024. He also traveled to Saudi Arabia in March of that year.