The yet unsolved 2008 bombing of a building in Times Square is getting renewed focus by federal and local law enforcement officials, as new analysis of evidence points to the still-on-the-loose suspect or suspects possibly being involved in two other bombings in New York City.
The FBI and NYPD released file footage of the incident in Times Square, when a United States Armed Forces Recruiting Station targeted by a bomb, and announced a reward of up to $65,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of whoever perpetrated the crime.
A principal suspect, seen in the footage, rides a bicycle into Times Square, gets off his bike, and detonates a bomb at the recruiting station. The bomb, made using miltary-style ammunition and built using an ammunition can commonly found on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, was similar to bombs that went off at the British Consulate in May 2005 and the Mexico Consulate in October 2007. In all three cases a person on a bicycle placed the bomb between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
“Someone, somewhere knows something about a bomber who’s still on the run,” said George Venizelos, FBI assistant director in charge, in a statement. “Today, we’re asking for the public’s assistance in finding those responsible and encouraging the public to look closely at these photos and video, which could be the key to breaking the case.”
Although there were no casualties in the Times Square bombing incident, the bomber “narrowly missed killing or injuring passers-by who can be seen clearly in the vicinity moments before the blast,” said NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly in a statement.
Anyone with tips is encouraged to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. The NYPD and FBI will be using the hash tag #BikeBomber to sift through information on social media.
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