On Monday, September 19 at 7:54 AM people all around the New York and New Jersey area received an Amber Alert which stated "WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-yr-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen." This was a few days after the Chelsea Bombing, so that was the first thought that came to mind when reading the alert. Who is this man? Was he responsible for hurting 29 people on Saturday night?
On Sunday afternoon the officials identified his fingerprint and a cellphone connected to the pressure cooker used for the bomb. That Monday morning, a few hours the amber alert, he was arrested outside a bar in Linden, New Jersey. When officials arrived, Ahmad Khan Rahami pulled out a hand gun and struck two officials. He was arrested.
Rahami is originally from Afghanistan, but came to the United States in 1995 and became a naturalized citizen in 2011. He had been completely invisible before becoming a suspect of the New Jersey explosion, the Chelsea Bombing and four other bombs found around Elizabeth, New Jersey. The only criminal history known about Rahami is related to the stabbing of one of his family members during a family dispute, but there had been no terrorist links prior to his relation with the explosions around the New York and New Jersey area.
His wife had left the country before the explosions and has filed charges against him for not paying child support and is demanding full custody of their child. She is currently collaborating with U.S. officials for the bombing investigations, since she claims Rahami demonstrated complete hatred towards Western culture and the U.S. military. She was also surprised with his involvement in the explosions and claimed he had been "brainwashed".
Rahami's travels to Pakistan and Afghanistan are primary concerns for investigators, since he is suspected to have been radicalized during his travels. A discovery of a notebook he was carrying during his capture contained extensive praise to a dead al-Qaeda leader and noted other deadly terror attacks.
Rahami is thought to be operating alone, however five relatives of Rahami were stopped in their vehicle the day of the bombing on 23rd street.
Sources used:
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ny-nj-bombings/ch...
