Police Arrest Suspect in Port Authority Bombing Who Set Off ‘Explosive Vest’

Colby HallDec 11th, 2017, 8:01 am
 

A suspect is in custody following an explosion in New York’s Port Authority at the intersection of 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue during rush hour Monday morning.

A video of the explosion, caught by security cameras, can be seen above.

During a presser, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio described the incident as “an attempted terror attack.” According to New York City Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, 27-year-old Akayed Ullah set off the device at around 7:20 a.m. in the Port Authority subway station.

Per the New York Post, law enforcement sources said the suspect is an ISIS-inspired suicide bomber who set off a homemade explosive vest.

The attacker is a 27-year-old Brooklyn resident, possibly of Bangladeshi origin, the Post reports. He “had wires attached to him and a 5-inch metal pipe bomb and battery pack strapped to his midsection as he walked through the Manhattan transit hub, sources said.” The device was “partially detonated.”

Ullah suffered lacerations and burns from the explosion and taken to Bellevue Hospital to be treated.

The FDNY said that four people were injured in the incident — including the attacker — though none of the injuries were life threatening.

This story is developing and will be updated as more reports come in.

UPDATE – 4:59 p.m. EST: The White House released a statement decrying the attack and highlighting President Trump’s calls for tougher immigration policy.

Watch live coverage above courtesy of ABC7 here:

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Colby Hall - Founding Editor

Colby Hall is the Founding Editor of Mediaite.com. He is also a Peabody Award-winning television producer of non-fiction narrative programming as well as a terrific dancer and preparer of grilled meats.