A federal indictment says two Pennsylvania teenagers tried to detonate explosives outside the New York City mayor’s residence on March 7, and their plan was ISIS-inspired, voluntary statements and physical evidence show.

Federal prosecutors allege Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, drove to New York with multiple explosive devices and a third bomb stashed in their car. According to the indictment, neither of the devices detonated as intended and no one was hurt, but the planning and intent were clear. The indictment frames the plot as a deliberate attempt at mass killing modeled on past attacks.

Prosecutors say a notebook recovered from the vehicle contained a list of materials and step-by-step instructions for building and triggering a homemade bomb. The same notebook reportedly sketched alternate plans involving a vehicle to attack crowds at festivals, parades, protests, or celebrations. That level of contingency planning indicates they were thinking beyond a single impulse act.

Investigators also recovered several days of dashcam video and audio from the car, and the footage is central to the case. Authorities allege the recordings captured the suspects describing casualty estimates and attack methods in explicit terms. In one exchange, Balat reportedly said they were “gonna kill about 8 to 16 people”, or as many as 30 to 60 if the area was crowded.

“All I know is I want to start terror, bro. I want to petrify these people.”

Both suspects waived their right to remain silent after arrest, and their statements have been used in charging documents. Court papers say Balat wrote a pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State group after being detained and called for the death of nonbelievers or infidels. Kayumi told agents he was affiliated with ISIS, watched ISIS propaganda on his phone, and drew inspiration from that material.

Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, was the intended target during an anti-Islam protest, prosecutors allege. Neither Mamdani nor his wife, Rama Duwaji, were home when the plot unfolded, but the choice of location is notable. The residence functions as both a symbol of city government and a residential site, raising the stakes for bystanders and assembled crowds.

Both young men are U.S. citizens from Pennsylvania and, based on public reporting, were not on any known watchlist before the attack. They allegedly assembled explosives, packed a notebook of instructions, and drove to Manhattan with a camera rolling in their car. How two teenagers moved across state lines with that level of preparation without prior intervention is a pressing question for investigators.

A malfunctioning device does not erase intent, and prosecutors treat this as a serious terrorism case rather than a failed prank. One explosive reportedly ignited but failed to detonate, and a third device remained in the vehicle. The mechanical failure that prevented mass casualties was luck, not a policy outcome or a victory of intelligence work alone.

The timing of the indictment, months after the arrests, suggests prosecutors took time to assemble physical evidence, forensic analysis, and the recorded statements. Prosecutors now point to dashcam footage, handwritten bomb-making notes, a post-arrest pledge to ISIS, and confessions as the backbone of their case. Those pieces collectively shape the portrait of a planned, ideologically motivated attack.

The incident arrives amid broader debates over New York City governance, budget shortfalls, and public safety priorities. Mayor Mamdani has faced criticism on multiple fronts, from responses to criminal justice and storm management to fiscal challenges. But domestic terrorism is a separate kind of threat, and its prevention and response require sustained resources and clear accountability across agencies.

These two suspects appear to represent the kind of homegrown threat counterterrorism officials have long warned about: citizens radicalized online who pivot to violent plans on domestic soil. Their youth and apparent consumption of extremist propaganda on personal devices underline the online recruitment vector that bypasses traditional border controls. That reality complicates prevention and forces law enforcement to adapt to fast, decentralized radicalization patterns.

Federal custody now holds Balat and Kayumi while the case proceeds, and prosecutors are treating the plot as a federal terrorism matter. The indictment lists a string of factual allegations tying motive, means, and opportunity together. At the core is a grim fact: the only reason no mass casualties occurred was mechanical failure, not a breakdown of malicious intent.