New York blast 'obviously an act of terrorism,' governor says
By Mallory Simon, Tim Hume and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN
Updated 11:44 AM ET, Sun September 18, 2016
New York (CNN)Hours after an explosion injured 29 people in a Manhattan neighborhood, police were scouring the area for evidence Sunday as they tried to pinpoint exactly what -- and who -- caused the blast.
"A bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism," Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters Sunday, vowing that authorities will catch whoever is responsible.
The governor said there's no evidence of an international terrorism link to Saturday's blast, which shook New York City's Chelsea neighborhood and sent panicked people scrambling for cover.
"A bomb going off is generically a terrorist activity. That's how we'll consider it. And that's how we will prosecute it," he said.
Cuomo cautioned that the investigation remains in its early stages and added that no terror group had taken responsibility for the explosion.
In light of the blast, he said 1,000 additional New York State Police officers and National Guard troops will be deployed to patrol bus terminals, airports and subway stations.
The stepped-up security is "just to err on the side of caution," Cuomo said. "I want New Yorkers to be confident when they go back to work on Monday that New York is up and running and we're doing everything that we need to do."
Mayor: Explosion was 'intentional act'
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the explosion Saturday night "an intentional act." But he told reporters there was no evidence tying it to known terrorism groups.
"There's no specific and credible threat against New York City at this time from any terror organization," he said.
Authorities believe the blast was caused by an explosive device in or near a dumpster, a law enforcement source told CNN.
The explosion occurred at 23rd Street and 6th Avenue. A few blocks away, investigators found one possible clue: a pressure cooker, with dark-colored wiring protruding, connected by silver duct tape to what appears to be a cellphone, officials said.
Authorities haven't yet revealed whether they believe that suspicious device has any connection to the blast.
Investigators are also combing through surveillance video for clues, but so far they haven't found anything pointing to a suspect, a senior law enforcement official said. Some of the video is not helpful because the cameras are either too far away or the footage is too grainy to tell what's on it, the official said. Investigators will be canvasing for additional video Sunday.
"We will find whoever did this or whatever group did this and they will be brought to justice, period," Cuomo said. "We will not allow these type of people and these type of threats to disrupt our life in New York. That's what they want to do. We are not going to let them do it. This is freedom. This is democracy, and we're not going to allow them to take that from us."
Suspicious device found nearby
Authorities have cordoned off the street where the explosion occurred. A small crowd watched from behind the police tape Sunday morning as investigators gathered at the blast site. Some onlookers said residents who live on the block still hadn't been allowed to return to their homes.
Police officers and federal agents searched the streets with flashlights, robots and dogs early Sunday to ensure there were no other devices in the area.
Multiple local and federal law enforcement officials described the pressure cooker found at 27th Street. None of them would say what was inside the cooker, which has since been removed from the scene.
A piece of paper with writing on it was found nearby, the officials said.
Search attention also focused on another object in the area, but it turned out to be trash.
De Blasio said investigators believe there is no connection to an earlier incident in New Jersey, where an explosion went off in a garbage can on the route of a Marine Corps charity run Saturday.
The New York explosion caused "significant property damage," Cuomo said.
"We really were lucky that there were no fatalities," he said.
By Sunday morning, all 29 injured victims had been released from hospitals, the governor said.
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8 people injured during stabbing attack at Minnesota mall
September 18, 2016
View photos
People stand near the entrance on the north side of Crossroads Center mall between Macy's and Target as officials investigate a reported multiple stabbing incident, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016, in St. Cloud, Minn. Police said multiple people were injured at the St. Cloud shopping mall on Saturday evening in an attack possibly involving both shooting and stabbing. The suspect is believed to be dead, St. Cloud Police Sgt. Jason Burke told the St. Cloud Times. (Dave Schwarz/St. Cloud Times via AP)
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — A knife wielding suspect who was dressed in a private security uniform and made references to Allah while attacking at least eight people during a mass stabbing attack at a Minnesota shopping mall was shot dead by an off-duty police officer, authorities said.
St. Cloud Police Chief Blair Anderson said during a news conference that eight people were taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the attack first reported about 8:15 p.m. Saturday at the Crossroads Center. One person was admitted. No further details were released.
Anderson said an off-duty police officer from another jurisdiction shot and killed the unidentified suspect, who was armed with a knife and wearing a private security firm uniform at the time of the attack. Anderson did not say where the off-duty officer serves.
Anderson also said the suspect made at least one reference to Allah during the attack and asked at least one person whether they were Muslim.
But Anderson declined to call the attacks an act of terrorism, saying the motive for the attacks isn't known yet. "We will be diligent and get to the bottom of this," Anderson said. "Starting tomorrow, things won't be the same here."
Local police had three previous encounters with the suspect, most for minor traffic violations, Anderson said, adding that the FBI had offered to help with the investigation.
Authorities "have no reason to believe" anyone else was involved in the attacks, Anderson said. He said the stabbings occurred in several places within the mall, including corridors, businesses and common areas.
"The entire mall is an active crime scene," Anderson said.
The mall remained on lockdown following the incident, but authorities expected those remaining inside to be released early Sunday. Photos and video of the mall taken hours after the incident showed groups of shoppers waiting to be released, including some huddled together near a food court entrance.
Harley and Tama Exsted of Isle, Minnesota, who were in St. Cloud to watch their son play in a college golf tournament, were in the mall when the incident occurred.
"All of a sudden I heard pop, pop, pop," Harley Exsted told the St. Cloud Times. "I thought someone tipped over a shelf. All of a sudden these people started running. I just saw everybody running our way."
There also were reports of some shots fired during the attack.
The couple were unharmed and said they helped another woman who was running from the scene to her car.
Adonis Samuels, 42, of St. Cloud, was outside the mall where his wife Roxanne is employed as a manager at Clinique at Macy's.
"She called me on the phone and told me she was hiding under the counter with a customer," Samuels said. She later called and said she was safe in a secured area.
Samuels remained outside, watching for her. He said he'd seen her through the glass doors at one point so he knew she was safe.
Seriously?"...said the suspect made at least one reference to Allah during the attack and asked at least one person whether they were Muslim.
But Anderson declined to call the attacks an act of terrorism...
Reports are coming out now that some of the devices in the New York attack and the ones along the path of the US Marine marathon were apparently made by the same bomb maker.Even though there has so far only been one claim of responsibility by an IS affiliated group for the Minnesota attack these three attacks over a single weekend look too much like "lone wolves" responding to some sort of trigger event or call rather than pure coincidence. It is very lucky that no one targeted was killed.
Without getting too OT, the US should really re-evaluate whether it wants to work against the Syrian government, accidents or not, directly or indirectly, to the benefit of extremist and jihadist groups.
Federal authorities are searching for Ahmad Khan Rahami, a 28-year old naturalized U.S.citizen from New Jersey, for his possible role in the bombing of a Chelsea neighborhood in Manhattan.The blast injured 29 people, none of them fatally.But another bomb was found several blocks away, but it never went off.
Separately, a series of bombs were found in Elizabeth, New Jersey, overnight.One was detonated by a robot sent in by authorities, but no one was injured.
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON - An Afghanistan-born American sought in connection with a series of bombings that wounded 29 people in the New York City area over the weekend was in custody after a gun battle with police, a New Jersey mayor said.
well, part of it here in the states is that we have a current administration that will not even call the enemy what they are, "Islamic Terrorism."Soooo sad. Instead of fighting ISIS in the middle east they are now in America, France, England and Germany.
Why won't politicians do anything to stop this?