NYC man accused of hiding explosive devices on rooftops pleads not guilty
Michael Gann was arraigned Friday morning after authorities charged him with allegedly making at least seven explosive devices with chemicals he ordered and instructions he found on the internet.
Investigators said Gann, 55, stored approximately five devices on rooftops of apartment buildings in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and tossed one onto the Williamsburg Bridge subway tracks between May and June. The indictment revealed investigators found 30 grams of explosive powder, which is more than 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks.
"Even a relatively small-looking device, in this case 600 times the explosive power of a firework, in close proximity of a subway car can be very damaging, even deadly," Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD's deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said at the time.
Gann was charged with three federal counts, including attempted destruction of property by means of explosives. According to the indictment, he told law enforcement he was trying to make pyrotechnics and learned how to online.
Prosecutors said Gann set off an explosive on June 5 near the East River and the FDR Drive. The indictment said he told investigators he was frightened after that and started considering how to get rid of the devices, either by throwing them into the East River or handing them over to the FDNY.
He allegedly threw two devices into the river from the Williamsburg Bridge.
Gann's next court date is August 13. He has 30 prior arrests and three felony convictions.
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Who is Shane Tamura? NYC shooting suspect, 27, who got an assault rifle despite ‘documented mental health history'
Suspected gunman Shane Tamura is accused of opening fire in a Midtown Manhattan office building in New York City on Monday evening, killing four people, including a New York police officer, before turning the gun on himself. 'I want to extend my profound sympathies to all of the victims and their families, and to the brave NYPD cops who today lost a brother,' NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference on Monday evening. 'There are still many questions that we have to answer, and we will answer them. For now, our city is in mourning for the innocent lives lost. May their memories be a blessing.' Here are the key details we know so far about the mass shooting. What happened? At 6:28 p.m., police began getting calls from the skyscraper at 345 Park Avenue, home to the offices of the NFL, KPMG, and Blackstone, about an active shooter. Security cameras captured Tamura, 27, double-parking a black BMW on the street outside the office tower and entering the building holding what was later determined to be an M4 assault rifle, Tisch said. The 27-year-old, who had a Las Vegas, Nevada, address, proceeded to 'immediately open fire' on the ground floor of the building, Tisch said at the press conference, striking NYPD officer Didarul Islam, 36, who later died of his injuries. Police said Tamura continued firing, shooting at a security guard taking cover behind a desk and another man. The gunman is then accused of taking an elevator to the building's 33rd floor, which houses the offices of Rudin Management. Inside the office, police say Tamura continued firing, striking and killing another person, and then shooting himself in the chest. Tamura is believed to have acted alone, and there is no longer a threat to the public, according to police. Speaking on Tuesday morning, New York Mayor Eric Adams said Tamura was targeting the NFL's offices but took the wrong elevator. 'He seemed to have blamed the NFL,' the mayor said. 'The NFL headquarters was located in the building, and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bank.' Who is the gunman? Police believe Tamura, a 27-year-old Las Vegas man, acted alone in the shooting. The suspect was a native of Hawaii and was raised in Santa Clarita, California, where he was a standout running back at Granada Hills Charter High School. In addition to holding a concealed carry license for a handgun, he also had an expired private investigator's license. 'He has a documented mental health history,' Tisch said Monday. 'His motives are still under investigation. We are working to understand why he targeted this particular location.' Tamura did not have a significant criminal record. 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His car was then spotted in Columbia, New Jersey, just after 4 p.m. the evening of the shooting. Tamura appeared to be wearing dark sunglasses and a dark-colored jacket and carrying a large rifle as he approached the office tower, according to security video images. The FBI stated on Friday during a press conference that its systems did not contain any additional prior information about the 27-year-old. Who are the victims and the injured? Tamura is accused of shooting dead at least four people, one of whom was the NYPD officer Islam. The three others shot and killed are yet to be formally identified. Islam served in the NYPD's 47th Precinct in the Bronx and had been with the force for three-and-a-half years, officials said. The Bangladeshi immigrant was a father of two young boys, and his wife is pregnant with the couple's third child. The NYPD said on X late Monday: 'Police Officer Didarul Islam represented the very best of our department. He was protecting New Yorkers from danger when his life was tragically cut short today. We join in prayer during this time of incomprehensible pain. We will forever honor his legacy.' 'He loved this city and everyone we spoke with stated he was a person of faith and a person that believed in God and believed in living out the life of a godly person,' New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at the press conference on Friday. 'He embodies what this city is all about. He is a true blue hero not only in the uniform he wore, but in his spirit and energy of loving this city.' Investment giant Blackstone said on Tuesday that a senior executive was among the people killed. 'We are heartbroken to share that our colleague, Wesley LePatner, was among those who lost their lives in the tragic incident at 345 Park Avenue. Words cannot express the devastation we feel,' the company said in a statement. 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USA Today
23 minutes ago
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Trump calls Manhattan shooting suspect 'crazed lunatic,' after gunman kills four
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23 minutes ago
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