“They’re saying it’s not linked to terrorism at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t”, Terrett said.
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Federal Bureau of Investigation officials report that a backpack filled with up to five bombs was found at a New Jersey train station Sunday night, just a day after 29 people were injured in a Chelsea bombing attack in New York City.
As a robot examined one device it “cut a wire and it exploded”, the mayor of the city of Elizabeth, Chris Bollwage, told CNN. The bag had wires and a pipe protruding from it. Bollwage said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was attempting to disarm one of the devices when it exploded.
The news comes as investigators are also examining a suspicious device found in a rubbish bin near a New Jersey railway station, with the U.S. on high alert.
A New Jersey police officer responding to a call about a hoodied vagrant curled up asleep in a bar doorway roused him and quickly recognized the bearded face of perhaps the most wanted man in America.
Donald Trump may have moved ahead of New York City officials when he declared Saturday evening that a “bomb went off” in the city before officials had released details.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the stabbings of nine people at a Minnesota mall as a potential act of terrorism.
Police spokesman J. Peter Donald said on Twitter that the possible explosion happened at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday on West 23rd Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.
After an officer arrived and recognized Rahami, Rahami shot the officer, who was saved by his bulletproof vest, authorities said.
The New York explosion was determined to have been an “intentional act”.
An additional 1,000 state troopers and members of the National Guard were placed at transit hubs and other points throughout New York City and extra police officials were patrolling Manhattan, officials said.
Cuomo, touring the site of Saturday’s blast in Chelsea, said the unexploded pressure cooker device appeared “similar in design” to the bomb that exploded in Chelsea.
A second bomb was found several blocks away on West 27th Street. Police say it was to be taken to the department firing range in the Bronx.
Investigators are examining a suspicious device found in a trash can near a New Jersey train station, and service on the busy Northeast Corridor line has been suspended. The New Jersey race was cancelled and no one was injured. Amtrak trains heading to NY were held in Trenton early Monday. The official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity, said the FBI was aware of the posting and was working to determine its authenticity.
Tannerite is often used in target shooting to mark a shot with a cloud of smoke and small explosion.
The men saw wires and a pipe coming out of the bag on top of a municipal garbage can as they came out of a nearby restaurant, Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said, reports The New York Times.
Caldwell reported from Washington.
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Authorities are looking for 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami in connection with the bombing. At the press conference, de Blasio would not confirm the specific site of the explosion’s origin, but did say it appeared to be outdoors. The explosions did not injure anyone in the area.
