Rahami was wounded, taken into custody and charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer after a shootout with police in Linden, N.J, on Monday.
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Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was initially spotted by a police officer outside a bar in Linden, New Jersey around three hours after the Federal Bureau of Investigation released his mugshot and described him as “armed and risky”. Harinder Bains, owner of Merdie’s Tavern, recognized Rahami after watching CNN on his laptop and called police.
The man, who turned out to be Rahami, fired on the police officer who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, said Armstead.
The court complaint also describes Rahami buying bomb-making equipment so openly that he ordered citric acid, ball bearings and electronic igniters on eBay and had them delivered to a New Jersey business where he worked until earlier this month.
New Jersey police surveillance footage of Rahami is another clue that made him the number one suspect. The court set bail at $5,2 million.
Officials say they believe Rahami acted alone.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said officials have every reason to believe the series of blasts “was an act of terror”, though investigators said the exact motive is not yet clear.
The investigation began when a pipe bomb blew up Saturday morning in Seaside Park, New Jersey, before a charity race to benefit Marines. No one was injured. Then a shrapnel-packed pressure-cooker bomb exploded Saturday night in New York’s Chelsea section, wounding 31 people, none seriously.
Dark-colored wiring was connected to the pressure cooker by silver duct tape to what appeared to be a cell phone.
“The investigation is moving rapidly”, President Obama said Monday during a news conference in NY, where he is attending this week’s U.N. General Assembly.
Authorities say Ahmad Khan Rahami was wounded when police returned fire at him in Linden on Monday. “Anybody in his circle, we need to speak to”, said Police Commissioner James O’Neill.
Officials are trying to understand how and why Rahami, who emigrated to the U.S.as a child, allegedly became radicalized.
What finally led authorities to Rahami was Sunday night’s discovery of a backpack in Elizabeth that included multiple bombs. Law enforcement officials told NPR that the bombs found in New Jersey on Sunday night were similar to the one found late Saturday in Chelsea.
The injured police officers are “ok and safe”, Mr Armstead said. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said the devices were found in a bag in a trash can by two men who reported seeing wires and a pipe coming out of the package. Sires said when her passport was renewed, Rahami’s wife found out she was pregnant and was told she could not get a visa until she had the baby and that the baby also needed a visa, according to CNN.
Rahami was born in Afghanistan and came to the United States along with his father in 1995, seeking asylum.
The officials also said that Ahmad Khan Rahami had traveled to Pakistan in recent years.
He is said to have married a Pakistani woman in July 2011 in Quetta.
Upon returning from both visits he told officials he was visiting family, satisfying any concerns immigration officials had at the time.
The Rahami family runs the First American Fried Chicken restaurant in Elizabeth.
His family has a history of clashing with the community over the restaurant, which used to be open 24 hours a day.
The official says investigators recovered his fingerprints from the scene.
Security has been stepped up across NY after bomb explosions in New Jersey and NY and expolisves were found planted in the city.
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Obama vowed Monday to continue fighting the Islamic State, which he said motivates certain individuals to carry out attacks in the USA and other countries.
