Akayed Ullah, a Bangladeshi chain immigrant, tried an act of
Islamic terrorism in New York City. Ullah was an apparent epic failure as a
terrorist because the “low tech” pipe bomb strapped to his body exploded with
limited casualties including his idiot self.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn writing at Fox News has some details.
JRH 12/11/17
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Port Authority explosion suspect: What we know about
Akayed Ullah
December 11, 2017
An attempted suicide bomber who set off a rush-hour explosion at
the nation's busiest bus terminal is a Bangladeshi national living in Brooklyn
who was inspired by ISIS, law enforcement officials said.
The suspect in Monday morning's blast at Port Authority in
midtown Manhattan was identified as Akayed Ullah, 27. Ullah strapped a pipe
bomb to his body with Velcro and zip ties, and it detonated in a subway corridor,
police said.
Details on a possible motive were unclear, though analysts
at the SITE Intelligence Group noted that the pro-ISIS Maqdisi media group
suggested a link between the attack and President Trump's decision last week to
recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, The Washington Post
reported.
What do we know about the suspect?
This photo
from a 2011 drivers license shows Akayed Ullah, the suspect in the explosion
near New York's Times Square on Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. (New York Department of Motor Vehicles via
AP)
Ullah lived in Brooklyn after he entered the U.S. in
2011 from Bangladesh on a chain migration visa, Department of Homeland Security
Press Secretary Tyler Houlton said in a statement.
The DHS said Ullah came to the
U.S. on an F43 visa, a preferential visa available for those with family in the
U.S. who are citizens.
He was considered a "Lawful Permanent Resident from
Bangladesh," Houlton told Fox News.
Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by ISIS
but didn't appear to have direct contact with the group and likely acted alone.
Ullah was a licensed cab driver from March 2012 to March
2015, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission confirmed to Fox News.
His TLC For-Hire Vehicle Driver's License was not renewed after 2015.
The TLC spokesperson did not confirm "whether he drove
for any particular base, or whether he simply got the license but didn't drive
at all." He did say Ullah was not licensed to drive a yellow taxi.
An Uber spokeswoman confirmed to Fox News that the
ride-sharing company has no record of Ullah being "connected to the Uber
platform." Lyft also does not "have any records" that Ullah
worked for it, a spokesperson told Fox News.
From police sources: pic.twitter.com/xFNagGmoh6— Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) December 11, 2017
What else do we know about the attack?
The suspect allegedly packed a 5-inch metal pipe bomb and
battery pack into the right side of his jacket, according to The New York Post.
Ullah told police he made the bomb at his work, law enforcement sources told
Fox News.
The Post reported that he worked for an electrical company.
The device was an “effectively low-tech device,” New York
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. Officials said they are investigating whether
the suspect detonated the bomb intentionally or if it went off prematurely.
The explosion occurred just before 7:30 a.m. near 42nd
Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, law enforcement officials said. The
explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and fire both above
and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at Port Authority.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the explosion was an
“attempted terrorist attack.”
“At this point in time,” the only suspect is the one man
already in custody, de Blasio said Monday morning, adding that the city is
lucky the suspect didn’t achieve his intended goals.
At least four people, not including the suspect, were
injured in the explosion, an NYPD spokeswoman confirmed to Fox News Monday
afternoon. Three patients have been released from the hospital.
Fox News' Jake Gibson, Rick Leventhal, John Roberts and
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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