Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Defiant Times Square Car Bomber Gets Life in Prison
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 5, 2010
Modified Oct 5, 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
John Del Signore
Published Oct 5, 2010
Modified Oct 5, 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
The Pakistani-born U.S. citizen who tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison, with no chance of parole. Faisal Shahzad, a 31-year-old former budget analyst from Bridgeport, Conn., pleaded guilty in June to the failed May 1st bombing in Midtown Manhattan. Today he told U.S. District Judge Miriam Cedarbaum that a defeat of the United States is "imminent," Newsday reports (paywall). "Brace yourselves, the war with Muslims has just begun," he added portentously.
Shahzad pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted terrorism transcending national borders. While pleading guilty, he took the opportunity to explain his motives, saying he wanted to kill Americans because of civilian casualties among Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq. Judge Cedarbaum asked Shahzad why tourists in Times Square should pay the price for military casualties caused by the U.S. in other places, Shahzad said he "didn't distinguish between a government and its people." Cedarbaum replied, "Including the children?"
Shahzad, who received bomb-making training from the Pakistani Taliban, says he thought his bomb would kill at least 40 people, Reuters reports. But the FBI recently disclosed that had he assembled the bomb correctly, it "would have killed thousands of people." The Wall Street Journal reports that after his sentencing, Shahzad said his sentence "will only be for the limit God has for me in this world. I'm happy with the deal that God has given me."
Tagged
al-qaeda
faisal shahzad
life sentence
Pakistan
terror
terrorism
Times Square
times square bomb
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: Is the Cheesecake Factory vs. the Amtrak buttercake our new culture war?
Because they're raving about the little cake you can only get in first class on select trains, here are your early links: Hunting for Bigfoot is big in New Jersey, the East Village got a kitschy wedding chapel, "Slime Square-42 St," and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Brooklyn woman hit and killed by garbage truck at Bay Parkway, NYPD says
At a time of year when traffic deaths rise due to reduced visibility, 30-year-old Siobhan Lynch was struck and killed just after dusk.
By
Ryan Kost
News
Brooklyn woman hit and killed by garbage truck at Bay Parkway, NYPD says
At a time of year when traffic deaths rise due to reduced visibility, 30-year-old Siobhan Lynch was struck and killed just after dusk.
By
Ryan Kost
NY's housing crisis is on the ballot. Here's what the candidates say they'll do about it.
By
David Brand
Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway is a haven for reckless driving. Mamdani isn't allowed to fix it.
By
Stephen Nessen
NJ state police fatally shot man in Moonachie, officials said
By
Kaya Laterman
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 .