Two men accused of attempting to bomb a protest outside of New York's Gracie Mansion last month hoped to kill 60 people and wanted to see the protest organizer "split" in half, according to court documents.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were both indicted this week on charges related to the March 7 attempted bombing. Authorities allege in the documents that Balat and Kayumi were inspired by ISIS.
Police say that Balat and Kaumi tried to detonate two improvised explosive devices containing shrapnel, but neither homemade bomb exploded. The pair has now been indicted on several charges, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
The incident happened outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Gracie Mansion residence. The bombers intended to target a protest entitled "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer." There was also a counter-protest called "Run Nazis Out of New York City" and a heavy police presence.
Another passage of the documents showed that after his arrest, Balat justified attacking the "Stop the Islamic Takeover" protests, stating: "This isn't a religion that just stands when people talk bad about... our prophet. We take action! We take action! If I don't do it, someone else will come and do it."
Later, at a police station, he wrote on a piece of paper: "All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegience [sic] to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar! Emir B."
According to police, the pair traveled from Pennsylvania to New York City to carry out the attack. Following their arrests, police recovered dashcam video from the vehicle in which the men were recorded discussing their plans.
Police say that Balat said he had calculated the explosive devices would kill up to 60 people if the area was crowded.
"Just can't wait for that bomb to go off and his freaking head, his body to get split in half, bro, dead," Balat said, referring to a protest organizer he intended to target.
