PENNDEL, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — One of the two Bucks County teens accused of throwing explosives near Gracie Mansion in New York City stopped at a Penndel fireworks store to buy a fuse just days earlier, officials said.
When authorities released the names of the suspects, Phantom Fireworks’ security team ran through its system and found surveillance footage of 18-year-old Emir Balat at the Penndel location on March 2. A license is required to make a purchase, so they were able to match Balat’s name with the time of sale.
Balat bought a 20-foot line of safety fuse for $6.89.
“In a void, it was a totally unremarkable sale,” said Phantom Fireworks Vice President and general counsel William Weimer. “Did not raise anyone’s eyebrows and the customer acted normally.”
But it was just five days later when officials said Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi attempted to detonate improvised explosives at an anti-Muslim rally outside Gracie Mansion, Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence, in New York City. Both were arrested.
Balat, of Langhorne, is a senior at Neshaminy High School. Kayumi, of Newtown Square, graduated from Council Rock High School North last year.
Law enforcement officials said they were inspired by ISIS and sought to surpass the death toll of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
The FBI, in a post on X, said investigators found explosive residue at a Langhorne storage facility that was connected to the incident. On Monday, agents “conducted a controlled detonation to ensure the safety of law enforcement and others in the area.”