Authorities have identified the suspect in the New York City explosion on Monday morning as Akayed Ullah, 27. They have also called the explosion an “attempted terrorist attack.” The New York Post reported that sources said the suspect told investigators he wanted revenge:
Akayed Ullah, 27, who is believed to be from Bangladesh and was living in Brooklyn, told authorities in sum and substance from his hospital bed: “They’ve been bombing in my country and I wanted to do damage here,” sources said.
The attack occurred in the subway station near 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, located by Times Square. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference that “[A]n ‘effectively low tech device’ was detonated in a subway passageway just before 7:30 a.m.”
Ullah had the device on him with Velcro and zip ties received “burns to his hands and abdomen, along with a laceration, and injured three others who were in close proximity to him.” The three victims don’t have life threatening injuries, but have “ringing in the ears and headaches.”
Witnesses have spoken out about what they saw. From The New York Post:
A 911 caller, who would only identify herself as Carmen, told The Post: “I didn’t see anything, I just heard an explosion and I ran out like everyone did to look for the nearest exit.”“I had like a panic attack, I couldn’t breathe. My stomach started hurting,” the witness said. “I’m doing better — I’m just trying to catch a train to go back home to College Point.”Designer Chelsea LaSalle tweeted: “holy f–k. just was stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. cops EVERYWHERE.”LaSalle followed up her tweet with another that read: “not a scare. actual explosion moments before i was about to get on the subway.”
Fox News continued:
An NYPD source on the scene told Fox News a device went off and there was a person strapped with a bomb. A law enforcement official also told AP police believe an explosive device was set off on a Manhattan subway platform.—Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC his sources in the department said the explosion was an “ISIS-inspired attack.” Bratton said the suspect was a man in his 20s from Bangladesh.If the attack is confirmed to be ISIS-inspired, it would be the second ISIS-inspired attack in New York City in less than two months. An Oct. 30 terror attack killed eight people and injured 11 others after a man drove a rented truck into people walking and cycling on a bike path in Lower Manhattan.
Fox News also reported that the man is originally from Bangladesh and has been in the states for seven years. Sources told the outlet that he was inspired by ISIS and “allegedly packed the 5-inch metal pipe bomb and battery pack into the right side of his jacket, but the device exploded prematurely.” These sources also said that he “told police he made the bomb at the electrical company where he works.”
*This is a breaking story. Please check back for new developments.
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