BY SEAN EGAN | On the evening of Sat., Sept. 17, a bomb exploded in Chelsea on W. 23rd St. (btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.), leaving civilians shaken and leading to a flurry of activity on the part of law enforcement agents and elected officials.
The bomb detonated at around 8:30 p.m., believed to have originated from a dumpster near the King David Gallery (131 W. 23rd St.) and Selis Manor (135 W. 23rd St.), an affordable housing center for the blind and visually impaired. The blast shook surrounding buildings, shattered windows, and injured 31 people. Thankfully, none of these injuries were life-threatening, and all affected had been released from the hospital by Tues., Sept. 20.
Another bomb (constructed of a pressure cooker, wires, and a cellphone) was found four blocks over on W. 27th St. (btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.), though this device did not detonate.
The Chelsea explosion followed another bombing earlier that morning in Seaside Park, NJ. At around 9:30 a.m. a bomb placed in a garbage can near the starting line of a 5K run for the Marine Corps detonated. Luckily, the race was delayed, and there was no one around/injured when the bomb exploded. On Sun., Sept. 18, in the wake of these incidents, a backpack containing five similarly constructed pipe bombs was found in a trashcan at an NJ Transit station in Elizabeth, NJ. The incidents were believed to be connected to one another.
By Monday morning, authorities had honed in on a prime suspect, 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, who was captured on security cameras in the area, and whose fingerprints were found on the undetonated W. 27th St. bomb. An American citizen of Afghan descent, his last known address was in Elizabeth, New Jersey, though since 2011, Rahami made frequent and extended trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Authorities apprehended Rahami around 11:30 a.m. on Mon., Sept. 19. He was discovered by a bar owner sleeping in the doorway of his establishment in Linden, New Jersey. Authorities responded to his call, and a foot pursuit and shootout followed. Two officers were injured during the altercation, and Rahami was shot, wounded, and taken out on a stretcher.
Following arrest, Rahami was charged on seven counts in New Jersey: five for attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, a count of unlawful possession of a weapon, and a count of possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. In New York, Rahami was also charged on four more counts: bombing a place of public use, destruction of property by means of fire or explosive, use of a destructive device in furtherance of a crime of violence, and using a weapon of mass destruction. Since his capture, Rahami’s troubling online history/purchases have come to light, as has his handwritten journal containing jihadist missives. Authorities believe he is the main culprit in the attacks, but are trying to determine whether or not he worked alone.
Throughout it all, elected officials kept their fingers on the pulse. The morning after the blast, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo surveyed the explosion scene with authorities day. At the same time Chelsea’s City Councilmember Corey Johnson also remained vigilant, using Twitter to reach out to those affected, and update his constituents on the developments in the area, and direct them to resources.
On Mon., Sept. 19, after more information about the bombings was available, President Obama commented on the situation, advising residents to remain vigilant, and asserting New York and New Jersey would have “all federal support” with their investigation. Following Rahami’s arrest later that day, de Blasio, Assistant Director of the FBI William Sweeney, and Police Commissioner James O’Neill held a briefing. “I have no indication that a cell is operating in the area or in the city, [but] the investigation is ongoing,” said Sweeney. “Based on the information we have now, we have every reason to believe this was an act of terror,” said de Blasio.
Throughout it all, Malibu Diner (163 W. 23rd St., btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.) served as a hub for those affected and uniformed responders, with an American Red Cross service truck parked outside to offer assistance.
These recovery efforts seem to have worked. By Tues., Sept. 20, Chelsea appeared to be cautiously back on its feet, after the previously shut down W. 23rd St. was reopened to traffic and pedestrians, businesses opened their doors, and normal public transit resumed in the area. More in-depth, on-the-ground accounts of the neighborhood’s resilience in the aftermath of the attack are contained within the pages of this paper.
As Chelsea Now went to press, the police and FBI were asking for community assistance in identifying, for informational purposes, the two men who took the W. 27th St. bomb out of the travel bag it was housed in and left. It is widely suspected that somehow, their moving of the device prevented it from detonating. Anyone with information is advised to call 1-800-577-8477.
