Officers are scouring the New York and New Jersey area for Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, in connection to a terror incident that wounded 29 people on Saturday, Sept.17 in lower Manhattan.
Law enforcement discovered a pressure cooker device a few blocks away from the first explosion. Fortunately that device did not detonate and yielded a wealth of information to police. According to law enforcement sources, evidence was recovered that included flip style cellhones used as triggering and detonation devices and the bomb building method. Also released was the image of Rahami and his background. Police say he is a naturalized citizen from Afghanistan and possibly lives in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The city is known for its massive stores of the nation’s oil and gas and was best viewed in the opening credits for the HBO mob drama “The Sopranos.” By late Sunday night, police reported five explosive devices were found near an Elizabeth train station.
Multiple police sources have stated that Rahami is seen on surveillance video on 23rd Street and 27th Street in Manhattan. The video shows a man dragging a duffel bag with wheels on 23rd Street around 7:50 p.m., about 40 minutes before the explosion. After the man leaves, the video shows two men removing a white garbage bag believed to contain the pressure cooker, from the bag. Law enforcement officials are still attempting to learn the identity of the other two men.
Also on Saturday there was a bombing at a U.S. Marine Corps charity run in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The bomb detonated in a garbage can but no one was injured. Investigators discovered three pipe-bomb devices wired together near the boardwalk that could have killed or seriously injured participants if detonated. It is unknown what level of involvement Rahami has with these reported incidents,
Law enforcement considers Rahami armed and dangerous, and if he is spotted, officials urge that citizens call the police.
Update: Ahmad Khan Rahami was arrested in Linden, New Jersey, after a shootout with police that wounded officers. Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.
