Police Raid Two Locations in Brooklyn for Evidence in Midtown Bombing

Law enforcement officials raided at least two locations Monday associated with the suspect behind the pipe bomb attack in Midtown to find evidence of his motive, background and any possible co-conspirators.

At the corner of Ocean Parkway and 18th Avenue in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, dozens of agents form the NYPD's bomb squad and the FBI spent hours going in and out of a large six-story apartment building. Police also searched a house in the Flatlands neighborhood.

The locations were believed to be associated in some way with 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, who was arrested after police say he attempted to set off a pipe bomb in the subway near Times Square at the height of the morning rush hour today. Ullah and three others were injured.

The explosion happened in an underground passageway near the Port Authority bus terminal under 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. The 7:30 a.m. blast caused smoke to fill the passageway, which was crowded with throngs of Monday morning commuters.

"Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference shortly afterwards.

Ullah came to the U.S. on an F-4 visa, available for those with family in the U.S. who are citizens, the Department of Homeland Security said. Trump's administration has called for a "merit-based" immigration system that would limit family-based green cards to spouses and minor children. A White House spokeswoman said Monday that the proposed policy would have kept Ullah out of the U.S.

According to authorities, Ullah was inspired by ISIS but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group. The New York Times reported that Ullah told investigators he chose the location because of its Christmas-themed posters, recalling past attacks on Christmas markets in Europe, and that the explosion was meant as retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on ISIS targets in Syria and other countries.

The explosion triggered a massive emergency response by police and firefighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus service at the nearby Port Authority bus terminal.

Fire officials said the suspect had burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in ears and headaches.

In a press conference shortly after the explosion, authorities said the bomb was a low-tech explosive device that Ullah had attached to himself "with Velcro and plastic ties." It was ignited with a Christmas light, matches and a nine-volt battery. The short pipe was packed with explosive powder but did not work as intended. It was not powerful enough to turn the pipe into deadly shrapnel, the officials said.

After the blast, law enforcement shut down the Port Authority bus terminal for several hours. The A, C and E subway lines were temporarily evacuated, and trains bypassed the station at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue for much of the day. NJ Transit buses were also temporarily diverted to other locations.

The apartment building that was raided in Brooklyn is in the middle of a multi-ethnic neighborhood made up of immigrants from Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and southeast Asia.

"Most of the Russian people live in the building," said Olga Manacova, who said she had lived at the address police were searching up until three years ago.

Another neighbor, 31-year-old Amit Sanichar warily watched as dozens of officials streamed in and out of the building. He said his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Guyana, and he was born and raised in the neighborhood.

"I'm really scared, I'm terrified. I wanted to start a neighborhood watch," Sanichar said.

A statement on behalf of the family sent by the New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said they were "deeply saddened" by the attack but also "outraged by the way we have been targeted by law enforcement, including a teenage relative of the suspect who was pulled from class and questioned in his school without a parent guardian or attorney."

President Donald Trump said the attack highlights the need for an immigration overhaul and called for Congress to end so-called "chain migration," where people are allowed to join family members who have already immigrated to the U.S.

Updated at 8:30 p.m., Dec. 11, 2017, with additional reporting by Brigid Bergin.

Correction, Dec. 12, 2017: this article was updated to state search location is Ocean Parkway, not Ocean Avenue.