Former Rare Staff
Early Monday morning in New York City an explosion at Port Authority now known to be an attempted terrorist attack sent commuters scrambling. But Officers Jack Collins, Sean Gallagher, Drew Preston and Anthony Manferdini were on the scene and took down Akayed Ullah, 27, swiftly.
Videos by Rare
We now know their faces, but we also know a little more about their backgrounds.
PAPD thanks our heroes for their bravery protecting New Yorkers today and every day #PAPDVigilance #PAPDProtectsNYC pic.twitter.com/jM7qNx7Gmw
— Port Authority PBA (@PAPD911) December 12, 2017
Left to right is pictured Sean Gallagher, 26, Drew Preston, 36, Jack Collins, 45, and Anthony Manfredini, 28.
Gallagher and Manfredini are Marines, the latter a bomb tech, Preston served three tours in the Army and Collins is a lawyer.
At approximately 7:20am this morning we had a terror-related incident in NYC. NYPD Police officers responded to calls for an explosion inside the subway passageway on W. 42 Street between 7th & 8th Avenues.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 11, 2017
Surveillance cameras captured the Ullah walking casually through the crowded passageway when the bomb suddenly went off at 7:20 a.m. amid plume of white smoke, which cleared to show the man sprawled on the ground and commuters fleeing in terror. Investigators said it was not clear if the bomb was set off intentionally or went off prematurely.
RELATED: Who the family of the NYC bomber is focusing on in all of this is a major head-scratcher
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/940208375396290561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fnews%2Fport-authority-bus-terminal-explosion-bomb-2017-12-11-live-stream-updating%2F
“This was an attempted terrorist attack,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters. “Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals.”
The suspect was being treated at a hospital for burns to his hands and abdomen. The others who were injured suffered ringing in the ears and headaches.
Former NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton went on MSNBC this morning and relayed preliminary police information, saying the man arrested was in his mid-20s, from Bangladesh, has been living in America for several years and attempted the attack in the name of ISIS.
Update: Bill Bratton is on @MSNBC's #MorningJoe confirming that this was a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS near the Port Authority. https://t.co/v7r55XlYiy
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) December 11, 2017
Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference that this was an attempted terrorist attack.
Police have identified the man in custody as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah.
https://twitter.com/katiezavadski/status/940230522386644992
Here is our first look at him:
JUST IN: The suspected Port Authority bomber has been identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, an ISIS-inspired Brooklyn man https://t.co/sI8z5juTQO pic.twitter.com/hZxcDfYeP2
— New York Post (@nypost) December 11, 2017
Reports indicate that #PortAuthority pipe bomb suspect was carrying a photo ID on him with the name Akayed Ullah > https://t.co/bHqpdnFCcH pic.twitter.com/rzrhWnl9wF
— Oren Segal (@orensegal) December 11, 2017
Law enforcement officials said Ullah was inspired by the Islamic State group but had apparently not had any direct contact with the group.
Four people other than the bomber were also injured when the explosion happened, police said.
The suspect, Akayed Ullah, was apprehended on the scene. He sustained injuries from the explosion and was transported to a hospital. Four other people suffered minor injuries.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 11, 2017
GREAT JOB PAPD TAKING DOWN SUBWAY BOMBING SUSPECT. THANK YOU POs JACK COLLINS, SEAN GALLAGHER, DREW PRESTON, ANTHONY MANFERDINI.
— Port Authority PBA (@PAPD911) December 11, 2017
#PAPD TAKES DOWN BOMB SUSPECT AT GUNPOINT.
— Port Authority PBA (@PAPD911) December 11, 2017
The suspected bomber came to the U.S. in Feb. 2011 on an immigrant visa, CBS News reported. He did not have a criminal record, is a legal permanent resident and had lived in Brooklyn.
RELATED: Police confirm identity of New York bomber
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
