NEW YORK — The man who is accused of setting off fireworks outside a New York City federal building has been identified.
The assistant director in charge of the FBI New York field office said Andrew Arrabaca, 43, was carrying an anti-ICD sign and set off fireworks outside of the complex known as 26 Federal Plaza, The Associated Press reported.
James Barnacle said Arrabaca was “armed with bad intentions” and made “anti-government and anti-American statements during his arrest on Monday. He also allegedly said he didn’t care if he killed people, the AP reported.
Arrabaca also allegedly lit a fire and shot a pellet gun during the attack.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Arrabaca arrived at the building about 8:30 a.m. Monday, wearing a military-style helmet and pushing a cart that had a sign that read “ICE Off Our Streets.”
Barnacle said Arrabaca poured gasoline on the ground and set it on fire with a lighter and a large firework. He then pulled out an airsoft rifle and fired five to seven pellets before Federal Protective Services and a security contractor got him into custody.
Tisch, however, said security video showed a slightly different timeline, the AP reported. She said he lit a bundle of fireworks, then as they smoked, he shot at the building with a pellet gun and then dumped a flammable liquid near bushes and started a fire.
In addition to the airsoft gun, Barnacle said Arrabaca also had two axes, three fixed-blade knives, a hammer and a machete. He also had six incendiary devices, CNN reported.
Three people were hurt. Two were government employees and one was a person going to immigration court. The Department of Homeland Security said the bystander was grazed by a firework while the security guard who tackled Arrabaca had minor injuries.
None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating. Arrabaca is in custody, but no charges were filed as of Monday evening.
Arrabaca served in the Army from 2001 to 2005 as a missile systems mechanic, The New York Times reported.
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