Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
DNA Evidence Found At Scene Of Brooklyn Bridge White Flag Stunt
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 25, 2014
Modified Jul 25, 2014
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 Jul 25, 2014
Modified Jul 25, 2014
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 masterminds of the white flag attack on the Brooklyn Bridge probably figure they attended to every last detail and elegantly covered their tracks. "We pulled it off, comrade," they're saying as they clink champagne flutes on some Croatian island, counting all the money they made off the brazen heist. "Wait, where is all the money we made off this? There was... money, right?" But now it seems the NYPD has a break in the case, thanks to good old fashioned Deoxyribonucleic acid.
The light covers were JUST the right size. (Jen Chung / Gothamist)
Sources tell the NY Post that the zip ties used to fasten the aluminum pans over the lights atop the towers have DNA evidence on them. Now investigators are running the DNA evidence through their vast database of DNA, and it's only a matter of time before a heavily-armed SWAT team crashes through your ceiling due to a data entry error. Look, there's a red laser beam on your forehead right now!
Also from the tabloid of record: "Investigators are also scouring social media, pulling phone logs and running hundreds of license plates, police sources said. They are tracking down all calls made from the bridge around the time the flags were replaced early Tuesday... Investigators were pulled from homicide, counterterrorism, intel and transit to hunt down the infiltrators..." Hey, whatever it takes to bring these skateboarding teenagers to justice.
In other white flag news, the city is beefing up security not only on the Brooklyn Bridge but on all other potential terrorist targets. "The NYPD has already implemented increased security measures on the Brooklyn Bridge, and multiple agencies are collaborating with the police on further measures that will increase the safety of this and other key facilities," First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris said in a statement. The NYPD doesn't think the white flags were related to terrorism, but the incident did expose glaring flaws in the city's security theater apparatus. The solution, obviously, is more security theater.
Tagged
brooklyn bridge
nypd
white flag
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
NYPD investigating after 5-year-old Queens girl found dead
Police responded to a call from her mother after an assault.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 15, 2026 at 7:10 a.m. ET
Hochul, Blakeman offer opposing visions for jobs to stem New York exodus
A million New Yorkers have moved across state lines since 2020 due to the cost of living.
By
Jimmy Vielkind
News
Hochul, Blakeman offer opposing visions for jobs to stem New York exodus
A million New Yorkers have moved across state lines since 2020 due to the cost of living.
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Hannah-Jones, NYC schools chancellor set to speak at high-stakes integration town hall
By
Jessica Gould
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
By
Charles Lane
Man shot by ICE in NYC's Marble Hill said federal officers never identified themselves
By
Arya Sundaram
and
Samantha Max
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 .