Man Arrested on Accusation of Making Explosive Devices and Placing Them Around New York City - Including on a Subway Track
Authorities said Michael Gann was taken into custody after he had allegedly already placed one of the explosives on a subway track on the Williamsburg Bridge on June 5, 2025. According to the Justice Department, the 55-year-old man had placed the explosive on the tracks before placing five more explosive devices and a handful of shotgun shells on the rooftop of a residential building in the SoHo neighborhood.
It's unclear how law enforcement became aware of Gann's alleged activity on June 5. A federal indictment included in the news release showed at least one security camera image of Gann holding a bag and appearing to walk on the rooftop where authorities allege he placed five of the explosives.
About a month earlier, in May, the Justice Department alleges that Gann ordered about two pounds of potassium perchlorate and another pound of aluminum powder, along with more than 200 cardboard tubes and 50 feet worth of fuses. Using these items, Gann allegedly created at least seven explosive devices.
The Justice Department alleges that in one of the devices Gann created, there was 'approximately 30 grams of explosive powder — approximately 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks.'
When Gann was arrested, officers found a seventh explosive device on his person. He allegedly then falsely told police officers he had thrown the rest of the explosive devices away in a dumpster elsewhere in Manhattan.
The suspect's internet history over the two months leading up to his arrest included at least a dozen searches about procuring a gun or the ingredients to make explosive devices, according to federal authorities.
Authorities also allege that on the morning before he tossed the first explosive on the New York City subway track, Gann took to Instagram and cryptically wrote: 'Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?'
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Gann has been charged with one count of attempted destruction of property with an explosive, which carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20. He was also charged with transporting explosive materials, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, as well as a charge for unlawful possession of destructive devices, which also carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
'The safety of New Yorkers is paramount,' U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement, crediting 'swift work' by law enforcement to stop Gann before he could cause any damage.
PEOPLE reached out to an attorney who is representing Gann but did not immediately receive a response on Wednesday.
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