Suspicious Device Found Near NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Residence, Later Declared Safe - What Happened

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The New York Police Department (NYPD) said a suspicious device found in Carl Schurz Park near the official residence of Zohran Mamdani, mayor of New York City, has been cleared and determined to be non-threatening.

In an update posted on X, NYPD News said the incident demonstrated the importance of public vigilance.

“UPDATE: The device in Carl Schurz Park has been cleared and determined to be non-threatening. This was an instance of everyday New Yorkers following a clear message: If you see something, say something,” the department wrote, urging residents to report suspicious activity.

Roads and park temporarily closed

Earlier, police had issued an advisory saying multiple streets near Gracie Mansion were closed because of the suspicious device.

Authorities shut down East End Avenue between East 85th and East 87th Streets, as well as East 86th Street between York Avenue and East End Avenue. Carl Schurz Park was also closed while officers assessed the object.

The closures affected both vehicular and pedestrian movement in the area as police secured the scene.

Bomb squad and sniffer dogs deployed

Specialised bomb squad units were sent to the park along with bomb-sniffing dogs after the suspicious package was discovered near the mayor's residence.

Officials cordoned off the area around Gracie Mansion and halted traffic as a precaution while technicians examined the device.

Police later determined that the object did not pose any threat.

Speaker urges residents to avoid area

Julie Menin, speaker of the New York City Council, said she had been briefed by the city's police commissioner about the situation and urged residents to follow police guidance.

“I have been briefed on a suspicious device found in Carl Schurz Park in my district,” Menin wrote on X, encouraging the public to stay away from the area until authorities completed their investigation.

Investigation linked to recent bomb plot

The incident came amid an ongoing federal investigation into two men accused of bringing homemade explosive devices to a protest outside the mayor's residence.

Authorities said investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered explosive residue in a storage unit in Pennsylvania during the probe.

Two teens charged over bomb plot near NYC Mayor's residence

Two teenagers from Pennsylvania, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested for allegedly attempting a bomb attack near Gracie Mansion, the New York City residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Authorities say the teens were inspired by the Islamic State group.

The pair traveled from the Philadelphia suburbs to NYC and joined counterprotesters at an anti-Muslim rally. Balat was photographed throwing a smoking device containing TATP explosives and nuts and bolts, which failed to detonate. He dropped a second device near police before being tackled and arrested.

Both suspects are being held without bail on charges including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. The FBI later conducted controlled detonations of explosive residue at a storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.

Authorities say there is no link to the Iran conflict, and Balat told officers he was attempting something“even bigger” than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

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