Footage Reveals Officers Subduing Suspect in Federal Building Blaze

WHO:

AP News - Andrew Arrabaca, 43, a former U.S. Army soldier, is the suspect in the incident.

AP News - U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky presided over Arrabaca's hearing.

AP News - Arrabaca was living in his car and had slept in a park the night before the attack.

WHAT:

Fox News - Arrabaca allegedly fired fireworks and dumped gasoline outside 26 Federal Plaza.

AP News - Arrabaca has been charged with arson and confessed to carrying out the attack.

AP News - Three people sustained minor injuries during the incident.

AP News - Arrabaca was tackled by a security officer after setting the sidewalk on fire.

WHERE:

Fox News - The incident occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York City.

AP News - The building houses offices for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, and other federal agencies.

WHEN:

AP News - The attack occurred on a Monday morning.

AP News - Arrabaca's hearing took place on a Tuesday.

WHY:

AP News - Arrabaca made “anti-government and anti-American statements” during his arrest.

AP News - Prosecutors stated that Arrabaca had plotted the attack for months and considered targeting other locations in New York City.

HOW:

AP News - Arrabaca arrived at the building with a wagon filled with supplies, including a large fireworks dispenser.

AP News - He ignited the fireworks, which caused chaos as they shot into the air and exploded.

AP News - Arrabaca also dumped a bucket of bottles, igniting a large blaze on the sidewalk.

(UPDATED July 23, 2026 15:39 UTC)

Andrew Arrabaca, a 43-year-old former U.S. Army soldier, has been charged with arson after allegedly firing fireworks and dumping gasoline outside 26 Federal Plaza in New York City, where he had been living in his car. During the attack, which resulted in minor injuries to three people, Arrabaca was tackled by a security officer after setting the sidewalk on fire, and he reportedly made anti-government statements during his arrest. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky presided over Arrabaca's hearing, where it was revealed that he had been plotting the attack for months and had considered targeting other locations in the city.