Police in Elizabeth, N.J., exchanged gunfire with Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect in this weekend’s bombings in both NY and New Jersey, before apprehending him Monday morning. One of the bombs went off while police were trying to defuse it.
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The men apparently found the luggage on the sidewalk, took out its contents – possibly without even knowing they were handling an explosive device, left the bomb on the pavement and walked away with the bag.
Law enforcement sources say two years ago, Ahmad Khan Rahami’s father told police his son was a terrorist, which put him on federal agents’ radar.
The FBI wants to see what else may have been inside the luggage that may prove valuable to the investigation, Milton reports.
The image was taken on W 27th street between 6th and 7th avenue between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on September 17.
The letter says public defenders could represent Rahami through a telephone or video conference.
Anyone with information regarding the location of the two men, can call the FBI’s tip line at (800) CALL-FBI (800-225-5324), the local FBI office or the nearest USA embassy or consulate.
Prosecutors in Union County, New Jersey charged Rahami with five counts of attempted first-degree murder and two second-degree weapons counts.
The Afghan immigrant who authorities believe planted bombs in New Jersey and NY this weekend was captured Monday after a dramatic gun battle with police that sparked when officers found him sleeping in the doorway of a bar.
Saturday’s blast injured 29 people in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, and the unexploded pressure cooker device appeared “similar in design” to the bomb that exploded in Chelsea.
The FBI acknowledged it had investigated Rahami in 2014, but found no “ties to terrorism” and dropped its inquiry.
The FBI says he is also directly linked to an explosion earlier in the day in Seaside Park, N.J.
“Because this is an ongoing investigation, all New Yorkers should remain vigilant”, he said.
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Two US officials told Reuters Rahami had travelled to Afghanistan and to Quetta, Pakistan, a city where support for the Taliban is significant.
