Manhattan bomb plotter accused of stashing homemade explosives on subway tracks and rooftops
Michael Gann, 55, of Inwood, was arrested on June 5 in SoHo carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) in his bag, just hours after he allegedly tossed another onto the Williamsburg Bridge subway tracks and stashed several more on nearby rooftops, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Authorities say the homemade explosives, some packed with shotgun shells, posed a serious threat to public safety.
'As alleged, Michael Gann built explosive devices, stored them on a rooftop in SoHo, and threw one onto the subway tracks - putting countless lives at risk,' U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said.
'Thanks to swift work by our law enforcement partners, no one was harmed. That vigilance assuredly prevented a tragedy in New York.'
According to prosecutors, Gann used chemicals purchased online – including potassium perchlorate and aluminum powder – to construct at least seven IEDs.
He allegedly tested the explosive mixtures twice in June, once blinding a bystander temporarily, before assembling the devices using cardboard tubes and fuses.
Investigators say Gann kept at least five bombs on residential rooftops in SoHo, along with four shotgun shells intended for use with the devices.
A sixth device was thrown onto the subway tracks, and a seventh was recovered from his bag during his June 5 arrest.
'This defendant allegedly stockpiled homemade explosives and traveled to New York City with these deadly devices,' NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said.
'He threw one of these devices onto an active subway track and stored others on the rooftop of a residential building, but because of the skilled investigative work and swift response from the NYPD and our partners, we were able to intervene before he caused any harm.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
35 minutes ago
- Reuters
Flight attendants sue Boeing over MAX 9 panel blowout incident, paper says
July 31 (Reuters) - Four flight attendants on the Alaska Airlines (ALK.N), opens new tab 737 MAX 9 plane hit by a mid-air cabin panel blowout in January last year are suing Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab for physical and psychological injuries, the Seattle Times said on Thursday. In separate lawsuits seeking compensation for past and future economic damages, they cited physical and mental injuries, emotional distress and other financial costs related to the incident, the newspaper added. "Each of the four flight attendants acted courageously, following their training and putting their passengers' safety first while fearing for their lives," it cited lawyer Tracy Brammeier, who is representing them, as saying. "They deserve to be wholly compensated for this life-altering traumatic experience." The lawsuits, filed on Tuesday in Seattle's King County Superior Court, accused Boeing of product liability for delivering a plane that was unsafe to operate and for negligence in manufacturing practices, the paper said. Boeing declined to comment, while Alaska Airlines and Brammeier did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. Last month, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Boeing failed to provide adequate training, guidance and oversight to prevent the incident. The board criticized Boeing's safety culture and its failure to install four key bolts in a new Alaska Airlines MAX 9 during production, as well as ineffective oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Sky News
44 minutes ago
- Sky News
Edward Zakrzewski: Execution of man who killed his wife and children sets new state record
A man who murdered his wife and two children with a machete has become the ninth person to be executed in Florida this year. Edward Zakrzewski's death sets a new annual record for the state - and two more are scheduled this month. The 60-year-old was pronounced dead on Thursday after being given a three-drug injection: a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart. Zakrzewski had been on Death Row since 1994, when he was convicted of murdering his wife and two children, aged seven and five. He had told others he would kill them rather than let his wife, Sylvia, divorce him. She was attacked first with a crowbar and strangled with a rope, while the children were hacked to death with the machete. Sylvia was also attacked with the machete when Zakrzewski thought she was still alive, according to court testimony. Zakrzewski's final bid to delay the execution was thrown out on Wednesday. Officials at Florida State Prison said he had a final meal of fried pork chops, root beer and ice cream. His final words were: "I want to thank the good people of the Sunshine State for killing me in the most cold, calculated, clean, humane, efficient way possible. I have no complaint." Opponents of the execution argued it shouldn't take place as the original 7-5 jury split in favour of killing him wouldn't be enough under current laws. Florida's previous record since capital punishment was restored in 1976 was eight executions back in 2014. No other state has killed more people this year - and two more are set to take place in Florida on 19 and 28 August. Texas and South Carolina are second, with four executions each. A total of 27 men have been put to death in the US so far in 2025.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Adam Levine's ex-Maroon 5 bandmate accused of sexting teens - and attacking wife when she confronted him on it
Musician Mickey Madden, a one-time bassist for the Adam Levine-fronted band Maroon 5, is accused of physically attacking his wife after she confronted him about sending inappropriate text messages to teenagers. 'He physically abused me,' Madden's spouse Kate Bowman said in court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, in regard to a series of events which unfolded on July 21. 'I'm now terrified of him.' Bowman said the bass player went 'insane' after she asked him about the alleged messages with the teenage girls - which allegedly centered around a rape fantasy. Madden went 'insane' when Bowman asked him about the situation, Bowman told the court, grabbing her arms and slamming her body against a kitchen counter. 'He pulled me to the ground and was out of his mind,' Bowman told the court in her filing. Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Madden, and an Instagram account the musician appears to run, for further comment on the story. Bowman described her efforts to flee the dangerous situation in her court filing. 'I managed to move around and escape him, got up, and ran out of the house to escape him,' she said. She continued: 'He ran after me in his underwear and barefoot, caught up to me, shoved me against the gate, and then tried to grab me back to the house.' Bowman said that she 'managed to escape and ran to the street' but Madden 'found [her] twice in different locations, physically abusing me each time.' Bowman included screengrabs in her filing from ring camera footage to support her claims. Bowman tried to retrieve Madden's phone, and says she wound up leaving the home afraid for her life. Bowman was able to rummage through the contents of the phone after she ran down the street and hid between cars after escaping the enraged musician's clutches, she said in court documents. Bowman told the court that Madden had never shown that level of outrage prior to their marriage. Bowman was pointed out to the text-related allegations against Madden by a stranger, she said in the court filing. Bowman told the court that she subsequently moved out of the home and has been residing with a friend in the wake of the conflict, she said in the court filing. Bowman told the court that Madden told her he was sorry via text message, and that he was planning on seeking help for sex addiction. She said she was concerned about Madden's potential mercurial reaction when he sees that she used a credit card of theirs to hire a lawyer in the wake of the July 21 incident. Bowman has asked for a restraining order preventing Madden from approaching within 100 yards of her person, place of business, residence or vehicle. Bowman said that Madden has exerted monetary control over her for the duration of their four-year-plus marriage. Bowman said said she has since started working a job, and is concerned that Madden will try to track her down at her work. She added that she's put a deposit down for an apartment where she will reside. Bowman is asking for expenses, in addition to custody of a pair of Siberian Husky dogs they own named Jam and Toast. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted Bowman a temporary restraining order in connection with the domestic violence allegations, but a request for Madden to vacate their home was not granted, pending a future hearing on the matter. Madden was the bass player for Maroon 5 - whose hits include moves like Makes Me Wonder, Moves Like Jagger and She Will Be Loved - for nearly 26 years, but departed the band in 2020. He stepped away from Maroon 5 in July of 2020 after he was arrested in connection with domestic violence 'I have some things that I need to deal with and address right now and so I have decided to take a leave of absence,' Madden said in a statement at the time. 'During this time, I do not want to be a distraction to my bandmates. I wish them the absolute best.'
