{"url":"https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/","title":"Bucks County terror suspects profiled in IED plot","domain":"phillyburbs.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/23384426/pexels-photo-23384426.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"terrorism","category":"Politics","language":"en","slug":"a7f0a8ef","id":"a7f0a8ef-ee99-4c5b-80a4-e2cd1c7b0ab1","description":"Bucks Teens Arrested: Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both from Bucks County, were arrested March 9, 2026, after throwing IEDs at a protest near Gracie Mans","summary":"## TL;DR\n- **Bucks Teens Arrested:** Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both from Bucks County, were arrested March 9, 2026, after throwing IEDs at a protest near Gracie Mansion in New York City.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)[[2]](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/emir-balat-and-ibrahim-kayumi-indicted-march-7-2026-isis-inspired-attack-outside)\n- **ISIS Professions:** Both professed support for ISIS post-arrest, with Balat pledging allegiance in writing and Kayumi citing propaganda inspiration.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n- **Suburban Upbringings:** The suspects came from comfortable immigrant families in Middletown and Newtown Township, with no prior known connection before March 7.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\n## The story at a glance\nThe article profiles Bucks County teens Emir Balat, 18, of Middletown, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, of Newtown Township, arrested for allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices at a protest near New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's residence, Gracie Mansion, on March 7, 2026. Both professed ISIS support after arrest and lived in similar suburban immigrant family settings. It's reported now amid a federal investigation with few new details released since the arrests.\n\n## Key points\n- Balat and Kayumi drove from Bucks County to Manhattan on March 7, parked near Gracie Mansion, and threw two IEDs containing volatile chemicals into a crowd at a \"Stop the Islamic Takeover\" protest clashing with counter-protesters.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)[[2]](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/emir-balat-and-ibrahim-kayumi-indicted-march-7-2026-isis-inspired-attack-outside)\n- Evidence includes surveillance of Balat buying fireworks fuse in Penndel on March 2, explosive residue in a Middletown storage unit, and fuse material in their vehicle.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n- Balat, a Neshaminy High School senior on remote learning, ran online businesses reselling sneakers and supplies; his family are Turkish immigrants in Durham Meadows since 2014.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n- Kayumi, a former Bucks County Community College student, lived with Afghan immigrant parents in a large Newtown Township home; his mother reported him missing on March 7.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n- The two met for the first time that day, per Balat's attorney; both remain in federal detention with attorneys not commenting.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\n## Details and context\nBalat's father gained U.S. asylum in 1998 and citizenship in 2017, running painting and construction businesses; the family attends a local mosque, though Balat has no record there. His Facebook pages for marketplaces stopped posting February 16, 2026, and were removed by March 13.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\nKayumi's father operates Popeye's franchises and faced past lawsuits; the family moved to Makefield Reserve in 2017. Explosive-sniffing dogs alerted on Kayumi's abandoned Honda, cleared of devices.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\nFederal and New York authorities released no updates since arrests. The article notes similar upbringings but little known about radicalization or prior links.\n\n## Key quotes\n- Balat, post-arrest: pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and aimed for a larger attack than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n- Kayumi, post-arrest: claimed ISIS affiliation and said he watched its propaganda.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\n## Why it matters\nAn alleged ISIS-inspired attack in Manhattan by suburban Pennsylvania teens highlights risks of homegrown extremism even in stable communities. It shows how everyday online activity can precede sudden violence, affecting public safety at protests near official sites like Gracie Mansion. Watch federal court proceedings, though details on motives and connections remain limited.\n\n## What changed\nBefore March 7, 2026, Balat and Kayumi had no known connection and lived ordinary suburban lives as high school/college students from immigrant families. On that date, they drove to New York, threw IEDs at a protest, and were arrested on-site with post-arrest ISIS professions. The shift occurred during the March 7 protest near Gracie Mansion, leading to federal detention.\n\n## FAQ\nQ: Who are Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi?\nA: Emir Balat, 18, lived in Middletown with Turkish immigrant parents and ran online resale businesses while finishing high school remotely. Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, lived in Newtown Township with Afghan immigrant parents and was a recent high school graduate attending community college part-time.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\nQ: What happened during the March 7 protest?\nA: The pair parked near Gracie Mansion, walked to the site of an anti-Islam protest clashing with counter-protesters, and Balat threw two ignited IEDs containing volatile chemicals around 12:15 p.m.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\nQ: What evidence linked them to the IEDs?\nA: Surveillance showed Balat buying fuse March 2; residue was found in a Middletown storage unit; fuse material was in their vehicle; dogs alerted on Kayumi's Honda.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)\n\nQ: Did they know each other before the attack?\nA: Balat's attorney said they met for the first time on March 7; no prior connection is known.[[1]](https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/)","hashtags":["#terrorism","#isis","#bucks","#county","#new","#york"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.phillyburbs.com/story/news/crime/2026/03/17/who-is-emir-balat-ibrahim-kayumi-bucks-county-terrorist-isis-new-york-city-gracie-mansion/89123054007/","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/emir-balat-and-ibrahim-kayumi-indicted-march-7-2026-isis-inspired-attack-outside","title":""}],"viewCount":3,"publishedAt":"2026-04-22T21:31:37.477Z","createdAt":"2026-04-22T21:31:37.477Z","articlePublishedAt":"2026-03-17T09:12:46.000Z"}