He remains hospitalized after a shootout with police Monday, hours after investigators say he dumped a package with bombs in a trash can near a train station.
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Mohammed Rahami (3-L), the father of the suspect behind the September 17 explosion in New York City and a second bombing in New Jersey, talks with FBI investigators in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Although Ahmad Rahami has been characterized by officials as the only suspect in the bombing campaign so far, court documents supporting the federal charges filed Tuesday suggested another person – likely a family member – may have had some information about the suspect’s planning.
Federal terrorism charges were filed Tuesday against Ahmad Khan Rahami – including use and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, bombing a place of public use, destroying property and use of weapons.
The 28-year-old naturalized USA citizen also faces charges in New Jersey state court stemming from a shootout with police in Linden. The complaint said 31 people were injured in that incident.
“I think they were more interested in the bag, not what they were taking out”, Watters said, adding that they were “very, very lucky” the bomb didn’t explode.
An unexploded pressure-cooker bomb was found blocks away – with Rahami’s fingerprints on it and his face captured by a nearby surveillance camera, according to the court complaint.
A social media account associated with the phone contained videos of violent extremist content.
Rahami’s wife, Asia Bibi Rahami, and his mother reportedly left the USA days before the attacks were carried out, raising additional questions about the bombings.
The Chelsea explosion came from a “high explosive charge” placed inside a pressure cooker and left in a dumpster. The blast propelled the dumpster 100 feet and shattered windows 400 feet above the detonation.
A bomb squad removed the pressure cooker, which was found to contain an explosive charge, ball bearings, and steel nuts.
Two police officers were also shot during Rahami’s arrest.
“Death to your oppression”, a final message read. The father said he was not surprised by the FBI’s findings. Earlier in the investigation, officials had withheld such an assessment until they could discern a motive.
The judge was also unpersuaded by federal defender claims that federal law enforcement is involved in detaining and questioning Rahami. Ahmad Rahami was not interviewed by federal agents.
The FBI, in a statement this week, said it had conducted an assessment of Ahmad Rahami that included interviews with his father, a review of bureau databases and public records, and checks with other agencies.
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Investigators also said that Rahami had travelled extensively to Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years.
