Gov. Josh Shapiro called New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani after Bucks County teens charged in ISIS-inspired attack
“Unfortunately, my family and I are no strangers to political violence,” Shapiro said.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro called New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani Tuesday to offer his support after two Bucks County teens were charged for attempting to set off homemade bombs in support of ISIS outside Gracie Mansion in Manhattan over the weekend.
Shapiro, whose own family was the victim of political violence when a would-be murderer set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion last year, told reporters Wednesday that he had reached out to check on Mamdani and his family.
“Unfortunately, my family and I are no strangers to political violence. I know how challenging that can be. As a result I reached out yesterday to Mayor Mamdani. We had a good conversation,” Shapiro said at an event in Berks County.
“I made clear, number one, that I was hoping he and his family were OK and just wanted to talk, again, as someone who’s gone through this talk to him about that.”
Additionally, Shapiro said, he assured Mamdani that Pennsylvania State Police would continue to work alongside federal and New York authorities to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable.
The Bucks County teens — Emir Balat, 18, of Langhorne and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, of Newtown — were arrested Saturday after allegedly attempting to set off explosive devices during a counter-protest of an anti-Islamic protest outside the mayor’s residence.
The teens, officials said, told police that they had planned to carry out a terrorist attack. The bombs, however, did not detonate and no one was injured.
Shapiro, who is seen as a likely 2028 presidential candidate, consistently condemns all forms of political violence and has called on others to do the same.
He and Mamdani clashed last year as Shapiro, who is Jewish, accused the Mamdani, who is Muslim, of failing to condemn “blatantly antisemitic” rhetoric by his supporters.
Mamdani, Shapiro later said, reached out and the two had a “healthy dialogue” about their perspectives on Israel.