A former U.S. Army soldier toting an anti-ICE sign set off fireworks, lit a fire and shot a pellet gun Monday morning outside a Manhattan federal office building, injuring three people before security officers subdued him, authorities said.
Andrew Arrabaca, 43, went to the building known as 26 Federal Plaza “armed with bad intentions,” made “anti-government and anti-American statements” as he was being arrested, and told investigators he didn’t care if he killed people, said James Barnacle, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office.
“The building was attacked,” Barnacle said at a news conference on the street where the incident occurred. “Mr. Arrabaca was looking to injure people and harm people.”
Among the injured was a person who had an immigration court hearing at the building, which also houses offices for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and other federal agencies. The building has been a hub of protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
No charges had been announced against Arrabaca as of Monday evening. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating, though Barnacle declined to classify the attack as an act of terrorism. It was not immediately clear if Arrabaca had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
