CNN deleted a widely panned social-media post on Tuesday that lamented how the lives of two teens “would drastically change” after they were arrested for throwing improvised explosive devices during dueling protests outside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home on Saturday.
Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on the scene outside the mayor’s mansion over the weekend and reportedly told authorities they were inspired by ISIS to deploy the IEDs at anti-Islam protesters.
But a post on X from CNN, which echoed a lede from the outlet’s story on the arrests, strayed from standard straight-news reporting and seemed to be attempting to humanize the two would-be terrorists.
“Two Pennsylvania teenagers crossed into New York City Saturday morning for what could’ve been a normal day enjoying the city during abnormally warm weather,” the since-deleted post read. “But in less than an hour, their lives would drastically change as the pair would be arrested for throwing homemade bombs during an anti-Muslim protest outside of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home.”
CNN clarified in a follow-up post that the initial message was deleted because it “failed to reflect the gravity of the incident thereby breaching the editorial standards we require for all our reporting.”
The outlet also affixed a similar editor’s note to the top of the story about the arrest on its website.
The new lede reads: “Investigators are digging deeper into the backgrounds of two terror suspects accused of tossing makeshift bombs at a protest outside the New York City mayor’s home in what authorities describe as an ISIS-inspired attack over the weekend.”
The men were arrested after authorities discovered three IEDs at the protest as tensions escalated between anti-Islam protesters and a left-wing counter-protest group. Right-wing activist Jake Lang organized the anti-Islam protest to oppose the “Islamification” of New York City, as well as public Muslim prayer. Mamdani is the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s largest city.
The first device, thrown outside of Gracie Mansion toward Lang’s group and police, did not explode. The man who allegedly threw the first explosive lit a second, dropped it, and ran. A third was found on Sunday, in connection with Saturday’s activities, but tested negative for explosive material, according to New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
“Preliminary test results determined that these were not hoax devices, nor smoke bombs,” Tisch said. “They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Around 20 anti-Islam protesters gathered to “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.” The group was confronted by counter-protesters, the “Drive the Nazis Out of New York” group, which drew more than 125 supporters, Tisch said.
Balat is an 18-year-old high school student from Neshaminy School District, while Kayumi is 19 years old. Law enforcement went to one of the suspects’ homes in Bucks County, Pa., on Sunday, according to a local CNN affiliate. Authorities also discovered additional explosives at a storage facility in the area, according to CNN.
The two men are facing charges in connection with providing material support to a terrorist organization; use of a weapon of mass destruction; transportation of explosive materials; unlawful possession of destructive devices; and interstate transportation and receipt of explosives.
“This was a planned attack motivated by extremist ideology and inspired by a violent foreign terrorist organization,” Tisch said.
Balat can be seen on police body camera footage saying, “This isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the Prophet. We take action . . . If I didn’t do it someone else will come and do it,” according to a criminal complaint.
Balat, after waiving his Miranda rights, pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State and wrote “Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar,” on a piece of paper, the complaint said. “Kuffar” means “non-believers” or “infidels.”