Federal authorities have charged 55-year-old Michael Gann, a New York City resident, with constructing and placing at least seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs) across Manhattan.
Most of the potential bombs were placed on rooftops of various apartment buildings, while one was thrown onto the subway tracks of the Williamsburg Bridge.
That bridge, once the longest suspension bridge span in the world, carries eight lanes of vehicular traffic, two tracks of the New York City subway system, and an upper deck for pedestrians and bicycles.
It would be an understatement to note that had Gann succeeded in setting off these IEDs, the damage and loss of life could have potentially been astounding.
"The safety of New Yorkers is paramount,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. “As alleged, Michael Gann built explosive devices, stored them on a rooftop in SoHo, and threw one onto the subway tracks—putting countless lives at risk."
"Thanks to swift work by our law enforcement partners, no one was harmed. That vigilance assuredly prevented a tragedy in New York.”
BREAKING: Manhattan bomb plot foiled as feds charge NY man with building, stashing IEDs across city https://t.co/uwc0HRXJC9
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 23, 2025
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Gann allegedly built these devices using precursor chemicals like potassium perchlorate and aluminum powder, with one device containing 30 grams of explosive powder, far exceeding legal limits (by 600 times) for consumer fireworks.
The IEDs were strategically hidden in high-risk locations.
Some devices incorporated shotgun shells to increase their lethality through shrapnel. Gann has been charged with numerous crimes and is facing significant jail time, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
GANN, 55, of Inwood, New York, is charged with one count of attempted destruction of property by means of explosives, which carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of transportation of explosive materials, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of destructive devices, which also carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Tucked away in the indictment is the revelation that Gann posted a comment to President Trump in late March. The remarks, incoherent on some level, address use of the National Guard and building a wall.
Dear @POTUS , I’m thinking just now here in NYC that it’s too bad that that wall wasn’t built before the National Gaurd would have to come here for the Protests and Riotation or would you just drop a bomb on this place while and because they seem to be coming and coming?
— Michael Gann (@Monarchifame) March 28, 2025
A RedState review of the account associated with that specifically mentioned X post reveals a man consistently panhandling on the streets for money and struggling with his luck at casinos.
Gann's alleged profile image features a rainbow-colored communist fist, a message to "fight the power," and a picture celebrating Independence Day.
The day before his arrest, Gann appears to have posted that it was "(another) day of 'Come out to play'" and lamenting about being forced to sit on a sidewalk and "ask money of (people)" for years.
Hours before his arrest, Gann, according to the indictment, posted a similar message on Instagram asking, "Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?”
Gann had another IED in his possession when authorities picked him up.
RedState will keep you updated as further events surrounding this case warrant.
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