The New York Police Department (NYPD) announced that a suspicious device found in Carl Schurz Park near the official residence of Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, has been cleared and determined to be non-threatening.
In an update posted on X, NYPD News said the incident demonstrated the importance of public vigilance.
“UPDATE: The facility at Carl Schurz Park has been cleaned and determined to be non-threatening. This was an example of everyday New Yorkers following a clear message: If you see something, say something,” the department wrote, urging residents to report suspicious activity.
Road and park temporarily closed
Police had previously issued an alert that several streets near Gracie Mansion were closed due to the suspicious device.
Authorities closed East End Avenue between East 85th and East 87th Streets, as well as East 86th Street between York Avenue and East End Avenue. Carl Schurz Park was also closed while officers assessed the object.
The closures affected both vehicular and pedestrian movement in the area as police secured the area.
Bomb squad and sniffer dogs deployed
Specialist bomb squad units along with bomb-sniffing dogs were dispatched to the park after a suspicious package was discovered near the mayor’s residence.
Officials closed off the area around Gracie Mansion and stopped traffic as a precaution while technicians examined the facility.
Police later determined the subject did not pose a threat.
The speaker is urging residents to avoid the area
Julie Menin, spokeswoman for the New York City Council, said she had been briefed on the situation by the city’s police commissioner and urged residents to follow police instructions.
“I have been notified of a suspicious device found at Carl Schurz Park in my district,” Menin wrote on X, encouraging the public to stay out of the area until authorities complete their investigation.
Investigations connected to the recent bomb plot
The incident comes amid an ongoing federal investigation of two men accused of bringing homemade explosive devices to a protest outside the mayor’s residence.
Authorities said investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation discovered explosive residue in a storage unit in Pennsylvania during their investigation.
Two Juveniles Charged in Bomb Plot Near NYC Mayor’s Mansion
Two teenagers from Pennsylvania, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested for an alleged bombing attack near Gracie Mansion, the New York City residence of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Authorities say the teenagers were inspired by the Islamic State group.
The pair traveled from suburban Philadelphia to NYC and joined counter-protesters at an anti-Muslim rally. Balat was photographed throwing a smoking device containing TATP explosives and nuts and bolts that failed to detonate. He dropped a second device near police before being hit and arrested.
Both suspects are being held without bail on charges including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. The FBI later conducted controlled detonations of explosive remnants at a storage facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
Authorities say there is no connection to the Iran conflict, and Balat told officers he was trying to do something “even bigger” than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
