Teens indicted on terrorism charges in NYC bomb plot near Gracie Mansion

Giulia Heyward

Published Apr 7, 2026

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NYPD officers arrest a suspect after an attempted attack outside Gracie Mansion on March 7, 2026.

Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Giulia Heyward

Published Apr 7, 2026

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Two teens accused of carrying out what authorities described as an “ISIS-inspired attack” near Gracie Mansion are now facing federal charges.

Federal prosecutors in New York unsealed an eight-count indictment Tuesday against Emir Balat, 18 and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19.

The charges come one month after the two teens, both from Pennsylvania, allegedly tried to detonate homemade explosive devices during a March 7 protest near Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence on the Upper East Side. Authorities said the devices were capable of causing “serious injury or death.”

The teens face multiple charges, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction and unlawful possession of destructive devices. Some of the counts carry potential sentences ranging from 10 years to life in prison, according to the indictment.

“Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi planned this attack, transported explosive devices, and came to New York City intending to kill innocent people, as alleged in the indictment,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said in a statement Tuesday. “What they allegedly set in motion was an ISIS-inspired act of terrorism with the potential for mass casualties.”

According to prosecutors, investigators recovered a long fuse, a notebook containing handwritten notes about explosives and attack planning and dashcam recordings in which the pair discussed how they would carry out the attack.

Prosecutors said FBI agents also recovered bomb-making materials from a storage unit in Pennsylvania that Balat had rented days before the attack.

“As alleged, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi traveled to New York City with IEDs to kill as many people as possible in an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said in a statement. “The alleged notes and instructions recovered from their vehicle demonstrate just how much cruelty they had planned.”

A forensic analysis found that one of the devices contained TATP, a highly sensitive explosive sometimes referred to as the “Mother of Satan.”

Attorneys for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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Giulia Heyward

Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.

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