A federal terrorism investigation involving two young men from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has disrupted communities in suburban Philadelphia and drawn attention to Neshaminy High School after authorities say the pair brought homemade explosive devices to a protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence.
The suspects are 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, both from the Philadelphia suburbs in Bucks County. Federal prosecutors say the two men attempted an ISIS-inspired attack during a protest held Saturday, March 7, 2026, near Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of New York City.
Balat is a senior at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. Kayumi graduated from Council Rock High School North in Newtown, Pennsylvania, in 2024. A spokesperson for Neshaminy High School confirmed that Balat remains enrolled as a senior but has not attended in-person classes since September after entering the district’s virtual program.
When students returned to school on Monday, March 9, the atmosphere inside Neshaminy High School was different. According to 17-year-old junior Dylan Cavanaugh, administrators and security staff were positioned across hallways and near bathrooms throughout the day.
“Everyone is talking about it,” Cavanaugh said.
The student said the news stunned many classmates. One of his friends had known Balat during middle school and told him Balat had been “a good kid throughout middle school.”
Before the school day began, Cavanaugh had already experienced part of the investigation. His family lives several houses away from Balat’s home in Langhorne. On Sunday night, federal agents filled the street during a law enforcement response connected to the case.
“It was scary … hearing and seeing all the FBI and all that came through my streets,” Cavanaugh said.
The events in Pennsylvania began after authorities say Balat and Kayumi traveled to New York City and appeared at a protest near Gracie Mansion. The demonstration had been organized by individuals associated with Jake Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter and far-right influencer. The protest included slogans such as “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” and “Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer.”
A separate group of more than 100 people gathered nearby for a counterprotest titled “Run the Nazis Out of New York City/Stand Against Hate.”
According to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Balat ignited and threw a homemade explosive device toward protesters during the event. Witnesses told police they saw flames and smoke as the device traveled through the air before striking a barrier and going out just a few feet from police officers.
Video from the scene shows a man shouting “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is Most Great,” as the device was thrown. Authorities say the videos were verified by the CBS News Confirmed Team, though investigators have not identified who shouted the phrase.
Police say Balat then ran southbound and obtained a second device from Kayumi. Balat ignited the device, ran with it, and dropped it on the west side of East End Avenue between East 86th and East 87th streets.
Authorities recovered two improvised explosive devices outside the mayor’s residence. Officials said both could have caused serious injury or death. A third device discovered Sunday remains under investigation.
According to the indictment, one of the explosives was described as the “Mother of Satan.” Preliminary testing showed the device contained triacetone triperoxide, known as TATP, a volatile explosive compound that the FBI says has been used in multiple terrorist attacks during the past decade.
On Monday, March 9, the Southern District of New York charged Balat and Kayumi with five counts. The charges include attempted support of a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS, as well as use of a weapon of mass destruction and transportation of explosive material.
Commissioner Tisch said both suspects waived their Miranda rights. Investigators say Kayumi told police he had watched ISIS propaganda on his phone. While waiving his rights, Balat wrote a statement declaring allegiance to the Islamic State.
“He hoped to carry out an attack even bigger than the Boston Marathon bombing, which he noted resulted in ‘only three deaths,’” Tisch said.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi addressed the case in a written statement.
“This was an alleged ISIS-inspired act of terrorism that could have killed American citizens,” Bondi said.
The investigation extended into Bucks County on Sunday, March 8. Law enforcement officers in tactical gear with weapons drawn were seen around Balat’s residence near Durnam and Frosty Hollow roads in Langhorne. Agents used a megaphone and announced, “This is the FBI, everybody come out,” before three people exited the home.
Investigators also went to Kayumi’s residence in Newtown Township near Stoopville Road and Clymer Street. Local police assisted the FBI during investigative activity at the property.
Court documents say Kayumi’s mother reported him missing on the morning of the protest in New York City.
Investigators continued their work Monday with a court-authorized search at a storage facility on South Flowers Mill Road in Langhorne. FBI bomb technicians wearing tactical gear examined storage lockers while searching for evidence connected to the case.
The operation continued overnight. Investigators left the location around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Residents reported hearing several explosions while authorities conducted controlled detonations of explosive materials discovered during the search.
Police later stated that there was no danger to the public during the operation and that the facility returned to normal operations afterward. An FBI spokesperson said the search of the storage unit connected to the Gracie Mansion incident revealed explosive residue.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading the investigation.
The protest outside Gracie Mansion also led to additional arrests unrelated to the explosive devices. Police charged 21-year-old Ian McGinnis of Philadelphia with assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of a noxious material after authorities say he used pepper spray on counter-protesters during the demonstration. Three other individuals were charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction.
Information about the two men charged in the bombing case has emerged as investigators continue their work.
Balat lives with his family in Langhorne in a residential development within Bucks County. When reporters visited the house, a woman wearing a hijab answered the door but declined to speak. Several pairs of shoes were visible outside the entrance.
Neighbors described the Balat family as kind and expressed surprise about the allegations.
Balat’s father, Selahattin Balat, emigrated from Turkey. He received asylum in the United States in 1998, became a legal permanent resident in 2010, and gained U.S. citizenship in 2017.
Mehmet Isak, a former president of the Turkish American Muslim Cultural Association of Bucks County, said he knew the elder Balat through a Turkish mosque in nearby Levittown. He described Selahattin Balat as a good businessman and said the Turkish American Muslim community does not support violent extremism.
“In our community, we would never, ever support these kinds of things,” Isak said.
Kayumi’s family lives in Newtown Township, about 20 minutes away, in a neighborhood of multimillion-dollar homes. A Mercedes SUV was parked outside the house in front of a three-car garage when reporters visited.
Kayumi’s parents emigrated from Afghanistan and became United States citizens more than a decade ago. Over the weekend, Kayumi’s father, Khayer Kayumi, told The New York Times that the family became concerned when their son did not return home on Saturday.
“If he’s going to be five minutes late, he calls,” Khayer Kayumi said.
The family searched parking lots and tried to locate him before learning about the investigation.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Kayumi later told investigators he was affiliated with ISIS and said his actions during the protest were partly inspired by the group.
Police have not released information about the contents of the suspects’ phones or computers, or how they came to identify with extremist ideology.
Balat’s lawyer, Mehdi Essmidi, said he believes the two men may not have known each other before the events that weekend.
“They’re strangers, as far as I know,” Essmidi said.
