Akayed Ullah, the man accused of detonating a homemade explosive near New York City's Port Authority, was not a fan of President Donald Trump. Earlier that same day, Ullah took to Facebook and wrote, "Trump you failed to protect your nation." Investigators also recovered Ullah's passport which contained a handwritten note that read, "O America, die in your rage."
Ullah had pledged allegiance to ISIS, according to one law enforcement official. He reportedly was inspired by the terror group's Christmas propaganda, saying "I did it for the Islamic State." Ullah says his attack was prompted by Israeli activity in Gaza. According to the federal complaint against Ullah, he began his radicalization in 2014 and began researching homemade explosives about a year ago.
The 27-year-old man from Bangladesh has been lawfully residing in the United States since 2011 on an F42 family immigrant visa, according to Department of Homeland Security spokesman Tyler Houlton. A Bangladeshi police spokeswoman confirmed that Ullah does not have a criminal record in the U.S. or Bangladesh. He held a Taxi & Limousine Commission license from March 2012 to March 2015.
Ullah had two bombs on him at the time of the incident, but one did not explode. Both bombs were made in his Brooklyn apartment. The device that did detonate has been described as a pipe bomb made out of a battery, wires, metal screws and a Christmas tree light bulb, no information was given on the second bomb.
The "low-tech device," as Governor Cuomo called it, only partially detonated or the damage could have been worse. Five people at the scene were treated for minor injuries. Ullah is currently being held at Bellvue hospital, where he's being treated for his severe injuries.
Ullah is facing three state and five federal terrorism-related charges for the incident.
Source: complex.com
