Authorities have arrested a man they say planned to bomb Times Square in New York.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested the man, whose name has not yet been released, Thursday. Officials say that the suspect wanted to set off explosive devices in the heart of Manhattan.
The man, described as a “lone wolf,” had been inquiring about buying grenades and allegedly wanted to throw them at pedestrians in Times Square. Authorities don’t believe the man to be part of a larger plot to attack the city.
The suspect had been under surveillance for some time and when he began inquiring about explosives law enforcement closed in. His official arrest was reportedly for attempting to purchase guns with their serial numbers removed.
Times Square — packed with thousands of tourists and residents each day — has been the target of terror plots in the past. In 2010, Faisal Shahzad attempted to detonate a car bomb in the area. The bomb failed to detonate, but contained gunpowder, propane tanks, a pressure cooker, and gasoline. Shahzad is serving a life sentence for the attempt.
