"Balat and Kayumi sought to incite fear and mass suffering through this alleged attempted terror attack in the backyard of an elected city official. James Barnacle, who runs the FBI's New York office, characterized the incident as a serious threat to municipal leadership and public safety during a statement following the court appearance."
"According to the complaint, Kayumi blurted out, as he was being arrested Saturday, that ISIS was the reason for his conduct. Balat later told authorities that he had pledged allegiance to the extremists, and Kayumi asserted that he was affiliated with the group, the complaint said."
"Officers asked Balat whether he was aiming to accomplish something akin to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded hundreds more. No, even bigger, Balat replied, according to the complaint."
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested and held without bail after bringing homemade explosive devices to a counterprotest against an anti-Islam demonstration outside New York City's mayoral mansion. The devices did not explode but were hurled during the Saturday protest. Both defendants allegedly expressed support for the Islamic State group, with Kayumi stating ISIS motivated his actions upon arrest and Balat claiming to have pledged allegiance to the extremists. When questioned about targeting a location similar to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Balat allegedly responded he aimed for something bigger. They face charges including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction.
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