A device thrown outside the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during dueling protests on Saturday, March 7, was confirmed to be an improvised explosive, according to a preliminary analysis by police.
Two people were in custody after New York City police said they attempted to ignite suspicious homemade devices during a "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City" rally led by Jake Lang, a 30-year-old far-right conservative influencer. The event drew a large crowd of counterprotesters, and one demonstrator threw an ignited device toward Lang's area, police said.
In a statement on social media, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department’s bomb squad conducted a preliminary analysis and determined that the device was not a hoax device or a smoke bomb but an "improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death." She added that further testing will be conducted, including on a second device that was dropped during the confrontationtatement on social media, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department’s bomb squad conducted a preliminary analysis and determined that the device was not a hoax device or a smoke bomb but an "improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death." She added that further testing will be conducted, including on a second device that was dropped during the confrontation.