Residents of Bensalem Township reported eight unexplained loud bangs between April 2025 and early January 2026 near the homes of two men later arrested in an alleged ISIS-inspired case in New York City. Bensalem police closed the local investigation citing insufficient evidence and an inability to confirm the source or origin of the noises. Authorities say there were no injuries and that, to date, investigators have found no verified link between the local incidents and the New York arrests. Federal court documents allege the suspects used a TATP-containing device with shrapnel, and license plate data reportedly placed them entering NYC less than an hour before the alleged incident.
Bucks County Neighbors Say Unexplained Bangs Occurred Near Homes Of Men Arrested In Alleged NYC Bomb Plot
Unexplained loud bangs perplex neighbors near homes of alleged NYC terror plot suspects
Bucks County, Pa. — Over a 10-month span, residents in and around Bensalem Township reported eight unexplained loud bangs that occurred near the homes of two young men who were later arrested in an alleged ISIS-inspired plot in New York City. The reports have left neighbors unsettled and revived questions about whether the local incidents and the New York arrests are connected.
Bensalem Township Police Sgt. Glenn Vandegrift told Fox News Digital that the department received eight noise complaints between April 2025 and early January 2026 describing loud detonations. After an investigation, detectives closed the local case "due to a lack of evidence, the inability to determine the exact source of the sounds and the inability to confirm that the noises originated within Bensalem Township," Vandegrift said.
"We have not received any reports of injuries related to these incidents, and at no time did we identify any information indicating a threat to public safety," the sergeant added.
Several neighbors described the noises as sudden, loud explosions coming from different directions at various times of day. Resident Rick D'Aguanno told Fox News Digital the sounds were "loud, random explosions" that sometimes occurred in the evening and other times during the day. D'Aguanno said he suspected fireworks or small explosives and that a local official had told him someone might have been identified — a claim police said did not lead to any arrests.
Arrests In New York And No Local Link Confirmed
The earlier noise complaints drew renewed attention after federal authorities arrested 18-year-old Emir Balat of Langhorne and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi of Newtown in New York City. Prosecutors allege the pair hurled explosive devices into a protest outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence at Gracie Mansion. Court filings describe allegations that the devices contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP) with nuts and bolts attached.
Vandegrift said there is no information at this time linking the New York City arrests to the previously reported loud bangs in Bensalem Township. "While we understand there may be interest in drawing a connection between the recent bombing incident in New York City and reports of explosions in the general area of the suspect’s home in Langhorne, our investigation has not identified any evidence establishing such a nexus," he said.
According to The Associated Press, a license plate reader recorded the two men entering New York City from New Jersey less than an hour before the alleged attack, which reportedly occurred around 12:15 p.m. Kayumi’s mother told investigators she last saw him at about 10:30 a.m. the same day before filing a missing persons report.
Vandegrift noted that no arrests were made in Bensalem related to the noise complaints. He said investigators would reopen or review the case if credible new information emerges tying the incidents to criminal activity in the township, and that any information suggesting a connection to the New York case would be shared with federal authorities.
Anyone with credible information about the explosions is urged to contact Bensalem Township Police. Fox News Digital has also reached out to Middletown Township Police, where Balat lives, for comment.
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