Man Arrested After Fireworks Incident Near NYC FBI Office
WHO:
PBS - The individual in custody is identified as Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old former U.S. Army soldier who was a mechanic on Patriot missile systems.
ABC News - A man with a history of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity is involved in the incident.
Fox News - The FBI and the New York Police Department (NYPD) are involved in the investigation.
WHAT:
CNBC - The FBI stated that an individual set off "an incendiary device" outside of 26 Federal Plaza, which contains a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.
CNBC - A bystander was grazed by the fireworks, and the security officer who tackled the individual sustained minor injuries.
CNBC - The New York Fire Department reported that one person was transported to the hospital, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
PBS - Arrabaca fired five to seven pellets from an airsoft rifle toward the building.
PBS - Arrabaca was carrying various weapons, including a pellet gun, knives, a hammer, and a machete.
CNBC - Two people were injured and treated on the scene, and another person is being checked.
CNBC - The man doused the fireworks, which were in a shopping cart, with an accelerant and lit them on fire.
CNBC - The man wielded two airsoft rifles and "menaced" nearby pedestrians with them.
ABC News - An "incendiary device" was set off outside a federal building in Manhattan.
CBS News - Fireworks were found in a garbage can related to the incident.
Fox News - The FBI announced that a suspect was taken into custody after deploying the incendiary device.
NY Post - The incident is being investigated by the terrorism task force.
WHERE:
ABC News - The incident occurred outside a federal building in Manhattan.
Fox News - The specific location mentioned is 26 Federal Plaza, New York City.
WHEN:
Fox News - The incident occurred on Monday morning.
WHY:
CNBC - The individual was described as an anti-ICE activist, and the incident is being investigated by the terrorism task force.
PBS - FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle described Arrabaca as an "anti-American, anti-government extremist."
NY Post - The individual involved is described as an "armed maniac," suggesting a motive related to anti-government sentiment.
HOW:
CNBC - The man doused the fireworks, which were in a shopping cart, with an accelerant and lit them on fire.
PBS - Arrabaca allegedly poured what is believed to be gasoline on the stairs to an entrance and set it on fire.
Fox News - The individual deployed an incendiary device outside the federal building.
(UPDATED July 21, 2026 02:50 UTC)
The FBI has reported that an individual set off an incendiary device outside of 26 Federal Plaza, which houses a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office, leading to an investigation by the terrorism task force. A bystander was grazed by the fireworks, while a security officer who tackled the suspect sustained minor injuries, and one person was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The man, described as an anti-ICE activist, reportedly doused fireworks in a shopping cart with an accelerant before igniting them.
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(UPDATED July 21, 2026 01:23 UTC)
Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old former U.S. Army soldier who worked as a mechanic on Patriot missile systems, is in custody after allegedly firing five to seven pellets from an airsoft rifle toward a building. He was found carrying a variety of weapons, including a pellet gun, knives, a hammer, and a machete, and has been described by FBI Assistant Director James Barnacle as an "anti-American, anti-government extremist." In a disturbing turn of events, Arrabaca reportedly poured what is believed to be gasoline on the stairs to an entrance and set it on fire.
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(UPDATED July 20, 2026 19:25 UTC)
A man caused chaos by dousing fireworks in a shopping cart with an accelerant and igniting them, injuring two people who were treated on the scene, while another person is undergoing evaluation. Witnesses reported that he also brandished two airsoft rifles, menacing nearby pedestrians. Authorities are investigating the incident further as they assess the situation.
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(UPDATED July 20, 2026 15:34 UTC)
An incendiary device was set off outside a federal building at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, leading to a swift response from the FBI and the New York Police Department. A suspect, described as an "armed maniac" with a history of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, has been taken into custody, and the incident is now under investigation by the terrorism task force. Fireworks were also discovered in a garbage can at the scene, raising further concerns about the motives behind this alarming event.