New York police on Monday were investigating an explosion near the Port Authority Bus Terminal that may have been a botched terrorist attack.
Police said shortly after 8:30 a.m. that they had one male suspect in custody, and several reports said that suspect was wearing an explosive device. That device went off, possibly unintentionally, and police said the only injury reported so far was the suspect.
Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton told MSNBC moments after the incident that the preliminary information he has is that the suspect was planning the attack “in the name of ISIS,” which would make it a terrorist attack.
He said the suspect is in his 20s, and is possibly from Bangladesh.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was also helping the New York Police Department investigate.
Spectrum News in New York said authorities apprehended one suspect who was wearing an “explosive vest” and detonated it.
BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Our criminal justice reporter Dean Meminger reports his police sources tell him a suspect, now in custody, was wearing an explosive vest and detonated it somewhere in or near the 42nd Street and 8th Avenue subway station. https://t.co/1lwbk3rGUa
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) December 11, 2017
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said President Trump has been briefed about the incident.
.@POTUS has been briefed on the explosion in New York City
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 11, 2017
Police said in a tweet that several subway lines were being evacuated while they investigate.
The NYPD is responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, #Manhattan. The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time. Info is preliminary, more when available. pic.twitter.com/7vpNT97iLC
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 11, 2017
The New York Daily News quoted commuters saying that authorities were telling people to leave the area.
One woman said she was “stuck in a running stampede at port authority bus terminal due to bomb scare. cops EVERYWHERE.”
CBS News showed video of police surrounding the area.
DEVELOPING: Reports of an explosion within Port Authority in New York City. Evacuations underway https://t.co/bM1QNc561o pic.twitter.com/eNiQ7b8bKI— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 11, 2017
