A 43-year-old Army veteran carrying axes, knives, a machete, an airsoft rifle and fireworks was taken into custody after igniting a gasoline fire and firing pellets outside 26 Federal Plaza, the Lower Manhattan federal building that houses the FBI’s New York field office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and an immigration court.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest, saying an individual deployed an incendiary device outside the building. He added that two minor injuries had been reported and that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was investigating.
Suspect’s movements before the attack
Investigators said Andrew Arrabaca drove from Poughkeepsie to Harlem before taking the subway toward the Penn Station area. He then walked to the Holland Tunnel, where authorities believe he spent the night before heading to 26 Federal Plaza around 5 a.m. He allegedly started the fire around 8 a.m.
Officials said Arrabaca’s vehicle was later found parked near West 124th Street and Broadway and will be searched as part of the investigation.
FBI describes intent to harm
At a news conference, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said Arrabaca admitted after his arrest that he had targeted the building and accepted the possibility of injuring or killing people entering or leaving it…