He says he’s spoken to the governors of New Jersey and NY and pledged all needed federal assistance.
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Cuomo, appearing later on “Fox & Friends”, confirmed that authorities are seeking Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, who is believed to be a US citizen of Afghan descent. But authorities have not drawn any connection between the bloodshed there and the bombings.
With Rahami’s arrest, officials said they have no indication there are more bombs or suspects to find, though they cautioned that they are still working to understand Rahami’s connections.
The attacks came as world leaders prepared to gather at the United Nations in NY for the annual General Assembly this week, just days after the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Update 4.30pm: A suspect wanted in connection with explosions in New York City and New Jersey has been taken into custody following a shoot-out with police officers, a law enforcement official said. He is a naturalized citizen from Afghanistan.
Christian Bollwage, the mayor of Elizabeth, said that two men found a bag containing five devices in a trash can at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
The newspaper also said that one person of interest had been identified via surveillance footage, but it was not clear if he was one of the five taken into custody. An AP reporter went to the building that houses the family’s restaurant and home, but it was cordoned off.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says investigators have no reason to believe that there are further threats, but the public should “be on constant guard”. New York’s emergency management department says that New Jersey-bound Amtrak trains are being held at New York Penn Station. None of the injuries appear life-threatening, police say. He says the president also expressed appreciation for the work of first responders.
This morning, both men will be singing a different tune. The address of a home searched by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents in Elizabeth this morning is linked to a person with a similar name.
Federal authorities on Sunday detained five people with possible links to the NY bombing, local media reported, citing unnamed law enforcement sources.
These statements differ significantly from what officials had said previously. Rahami is a US citizen of Afghan descent. Because of delays with the start of the run, the explosion occurred before many people were nearby. No one was injured there.
Police discovered several explosive devices late Sunday in a suspicious package at a train station in Elizabeth. No one was injured in that blast.
President Barack Obama said Americans “must not succumb to fear” after the bombings during a news conference on Monday. He says Obama will comment publicly “relatively soon”. Now, this is a normal protocol for the U.N. General Assembly.
Pearson reported from NY.
On Monday morning, the New York Police Department have named 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, as a suspect in the bombing.
Cuomo, in a separate interview on MSNBC, said: “Today’s information suggests it may be foreign related but we’ll see where it goes”.
It is still possible that Rahami may not be connected to global terrorism, but rather “inspired” by ISIS or al-Qaeda.
All of the victims in Saturday’s explosion have since been released from the hospital. The men were originally believed to have been connected to the bombings in New Jresey and New York City.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that people will see “a very substantial NYPD presence this week – bigger than ever”. Authorities were trying to determine if they were connected.
Cuomo said that, while the bombs discovered in Manhattan and New Jersey were not identical, there were “certain commonalities” among the chemicals and technologies used.
New Jersey Transit train service has been suspended between Elizabeth and Newark Airport, while Amtrak riders should expect delays along the Northeast Corridor Monday.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents conducted a traffic stop just off the Verrazano bridge, which connects Staten Island to Brooklyn, Sunday night.
When police arrived, one of the officers “tried to rouse him”, Sarnacki said.
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Then a shrapnel-packed pressure-cooker bomb similar to those used in the Boston Marathon attack exploded Saturday night in New York’s Chelsea section, wounding 29 people, none seriously.
