Two young men from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Emir Barratt, 18, and Ibrahim Qayumi, 19, have been charged following a homemade bomb explosion during protests outside New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s residence. The incident occurred over the weekend during a demonstration related to a far-right protest against perceived “Islamization.”
Barratt, a senior at Neshaminy High School who has not attended in-person classes since September, and Qayumi, a 2024 graduate of Council Rock High School North, face several charges, including attempted support of ISIS, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and transportation of explosives. Both claimed to have been influenced by ISIS, with Barratt expressing a desire to conduct an attack larger than the Boston Marathon bombing.
Two of the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found were capable of causing serious harm, and preliminary tests identified one as containing a volatile explosive. The FBI is conducting further investigations, including searching Barratt’s storage facility.
The protests involved over 100 people, including a counter-demonstration against hate. Barratt was seen throwing an incendiary device during the chaos, which failed to detonate. Law enforcement took a heightened response in Bucks County following the event, and additional arrests related to physical altercations at the protests were made.
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