Explosion At Manhattan Bus Terminal, Suspect With Device Detained

Updated on

New Update 9:40 ET: The New York Post reports that investigators briefly spoke to the alleged bomber, who revealed that he had made the bomb with materials gathered from his job at an electrical company. The NYPD and FBI are currently investigating whether it was a lone attack with one device, or whether it was part of a plan for a larger attack. It’s thought that the intention of the device was to explode on a Subway carriage where it could have injured or killed hundreds of people. With only a few injuries reported thus far, the premature detonation may have saved NYC from the deadliest attack since 9/11.

New Update 9:18 ET: 

 

New Update 9:00 ET: The New York Times reports that a senior city official has stated that the suspect had been wearing an explosive device strapped to his chest, and New York police stripped him naked to remove it. The suspect was alone, and thankfully the device went off prematurely. An explosion at the Manhattan Bus Terminal (provided that was the suspect’s target) during rush hour would have been devastating if the attack was able to be fully carried out. The attacker is currently in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital. Updated information suggests that no one besides the attacker was injured.

The MTA has updated schedules, reporting that the 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, N, Q, R, W and 7 trains were skipping 42nd Street.

New Update 8:50 ET: On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton suggested that initial information seems to suggest that the suspect potentially responsible for the explosion at the Manhattan Bus Terminal is in his 20’s, and possibly from Bangladesh. He was “supposedly setting the device off in the name of ISIS, so definitely a terrorist attack, definitely intended.” According to Bratton, the man has been in the country for around seven years. No terrorist organization has taken credit for the attack, and there’s currently no information from the NYPD on a motive.

New Update 8:40 ET: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has stated that President Donald Trump has now been briefed on the explosion at the Manhattan Bus Terminal. Governor Andrew Cuomo is also now on the scene. CNN reports that preliminary information from two law enforcement sources suggest that the pipe bomb may have been exploded unintentionally. The suspect currently in custody appears to be injured, say federal authorities.

New Update 8:30 ET: Mayor Bill de Blasio has apparently now been briefed on the incident. According to CNN, a witness has reported that he heard two separate explosions as he exited a bus around 7:45 a.m this morning.

“From what I saw it sounded like it came from the subway, but I’m just guessing,” he said. “It was two distinct explosions seconds from each other. As I was making my way toward the outside, I kept getting shoved by cops and there were cops at every entrance blocking and there was police and SWAT everywhere. close dialog…It was scary. It was just a lot of chaos but I didn’t see any injuries.”

New Update 8:20 ET: At least one person is injured and a suspect is in custody after the explosion at Manhattan bus terminal. The recent explosion happened at West 44th Street and Eighth Avenue, according to authorities. This puts the area of the attack close to Times Square. Local media has reported that “at least one person” was in custody, suggesting that there’s a possibility of more than one perpetrator.

Breaking news suggests that there has been an explosion at Manhattan bus terminal. Police recently gave a report on the event, and there are currently no reports of injuries thus far.

ABC News has reported that New York City Police are stating that a possible pipe bomb was detonated underground.

A man who may have a second device has been detained by authorities, and has been described as having many wires around him. Trains are currently bypassing Times Square and Port Authority, according to the MTA.

At this current time, the A, C, and E trains are being evacuated.

The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the largest in the United States and serves more than 65 million people each year. The explosion came at a time during rush hour, when large amounts of commuters were headed to work. This suspected terrorist attack happens just 6 weeks after a driver in a rented truck drove down a New York City sidewalk, killing eight people and wounding a dozen more before crashing into a school bus. These events come during recent calls from ISIS to attack New York City during the Christmas Season.

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