Ex-con used AI to make bombs, threw 2 in river, left 1 on NYC bridge, documents say
NEW YORK — An ex-con used artificial intelligence to build several explosive devices but then got cold feet, apparently tossing two of them in the East River, with another found ditched on the Williamsburg Bridge subway tracks and a fourth one in the bag he was carrying when the FBI arrested him in Manhattan, according to federal court documents and a law enforcement official.
Shotgun shells and explosive materials were also found in a dumpster in Chelsea, the documents said.
The suspect, Michael Gann, who is in his 50s, was arrested last Thursday and charged in Manhattan Federal Court with unlawful possession of a destructive device and transportation of explosive materials.
The official described him as emotionally disturbed and said it wasn't clear what prompted him to build the devices.
The documents, however, described Gann a day before his arrest mixing explosives in the presence of a military veteran, one of two witnesses in the case.
'What kind of veteran are you?' Gann is quoted saying. 'You see a problem in the neighborhood and you do nothing about it?'
Gann then pointed to a nearby Jewish school, the documents say.
The location of the school was not revealed but the documents indicate Gann, after using AI and watching online videos, ordered materials — including perchlorates, which are industrial chemicals used in rockets and fireworks, that he sent to an address in Inwood, in Nassau County.
The law enforcement official said Gann had been staying with someone in Inwood and that authorities were tipped by someone with whom he had spoken.
When Gann was arrested, he was carrying a shoulder bag that he said he was going to drop off with the FDNY, the documents said. He also urged the agents not to light a match near the bag 'because there could be a big fireball.'
Gann had twice previously tested the chemicals, the documents said, each time creating a small explosion, the second one blinding the veteran for about 20 seconds,
Inside the bag was a homemade explosive device, binoculars, a pocketknife and a torch lighter.
The documents said that Gann, shortly before his arrest, called the supplier from whom he bought the chemicals and asked if he could return them. The supplier denied the request and suggested Gann put them in water or throw them away.
Gann has about 30 previous arrests and three felony convictions, the documents said.
His lawyer did not respond to a request for comment.
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