New York City police locked down part of Manhattan’s Upper East Side on Sunday as the investigation into a terror scare near the mayor’s residence expanded after officers discovered another suspicious device.
The New York City Police Department warned residents to avoid East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street as officers responded to what authorities described as ongoing police activity.
Later, police confirmed the situation was connected to the investigation into an improvised explosive device used during unrest the previous day. “In connection with the ongoing investigation into the improvised explosive device deployed yesterday, the NYPD has identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street,” the department said in an advisory. Officers froze the area around the vehicle and began limited evacuations of nearby buildings while the bomb squad assessed the device.
In connection with the ongoing investigation into the improvised explosive device deployed yesterday, the NYPD has identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street. NYPD officers have frozen the area around the vehicle and are… https://t.co/R9LAfVBNep
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 8, 2026
The discovery comes one day after a homemade explosive device was thrown during a clash between protesters and counter-protesters near Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side. The residence is home to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Authorities later confirmed that at least one of the devices used during the confrontation was a genuine improvised explosive device capable of causing “serious injury or death.”
The incident unfolded Saturday when two opposing demonstrations gathered near East End Avenue and East 87th Street. One protest, organized by activist Jake Lang, drew a small group of demonstrators opposing public Muslim prayer in the city. A significantly larger group of counterprotesters also assembled nearby, and tensions escalated between the two sides.
Police said an 18-year-old counter-protester allegedly ignited and threw a device toward the protest area before it struck a barrier and extinguished itself near officers. Investigators said the device appeared to be a glass jar wrapped in tape and packed with metal shrapnel such as nuts and bolts along with a fuse. In a statement Sunday, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that the device used Saturday, “is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.” After speculation swirled online of the actual threat level posed.
Authorities also said the suspect attempted to deploy a second device before officers intervened, arresting two individuals in connection with the explosives. Additional arrests were made during the unrest, including one protester accused of using pepper spray.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation as authorities analyze the devices and determine whether additional suspects or explosives may be involved.
The suspicious device discovered Sunday inside a parked vehicle several blocks away prompted a renewed security response as investigators worked to determine whether it is connected to the devices used during Saturday’s confrontation.
Police have not yet announced whether the newly discovered device is functional, but the presence of the bomb squad and building evacuations underscores the seriousness of the situation as investigators continue sweeping the area.
Mamdani has not provided any statement or comment on the latest development in what seems to be a worrying trend. His remarks on Saturday’s incident split the blame between protesters and counter-protesters.
Officials have urged residents to avoid the neighborhood while the investigation continues. Streets in the surrounding area remain closed as authorities assess the device and work to secure the scene.
