Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Guess What: Times Square Bomb Would Have Been Very Deadly
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2010
Modified Jul 20, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 20, 2010
Modified Jul 20, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A secret FBI test of how deadly the bomb that Faisal Shahzad planted in Times Square is no longer a secret, as the Post reports that a team created a "correctly made" version and found it "would have killed thousands of people." Luckily Shahzad was not a very good study at al Qaeda camp and his bomb failed to ignite properly and only started a fire, allowing street vendors to alert the authorities.
However, the Post details what could have happened from the low-cost bomb: A "fatal spray of razor-sharp fragments and transformed building windows into glass guillotines hurtling to the streets, cutting down hundreds of people walking by." One source said, "It would have been the biggest thing ever to happen in this country since Sept. 11. It definitely would have been bigger than [the 1995] Oklahoma City [bombing which killed 168 people]. There would have been a lot of casualties.... People would also have been stomped to death from running away. It would have been panic. The buildings would have been severely damaged."
Another source said, "If you look at the four corners [near the bomb] that night, there could easily be 500 people between 20 to 30 feet from the car. Any car going down that block or parked nearby would have been turned into fragments, because that SUV's going to rip apart those cars. More people get killed by the fragments than the actual explosion."
Tagged
bombing
faisal shahzad
Times Square
times square bomb
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Staten Island fire injures two, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 10:34 a.m. ET
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
Repeat offenders are a big talking point in the governor's race.
By
Gino Fanelli
News
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
Repeat offenders are a big talking point in the governor's race.
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD searching for 'person of interest' in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .