New York City Mayor: 'Every Reason' To Believe Bombings Were Terrorism

Published September 19, 2016 at 2:06 PM CDT

Ahmad Khan Rahami is taken into custody after a shootout with police Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Linden, N.J. Rahami was wanted for questioning in the bombings that rocked the Chelsea neighborhood of New York and the New Jersey shore town of Seaside Park. (Moshe Weiss via AP)

An Afghan immigrant wanted for questioning in the bombings that rocked a New York City neighborhood and a New Jersey shore town was captured Monday after being wounded in a gun battle with police that erupted when he was discovered sleeping in a bar doorway, authorities said.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, appeared conscious, his upper right arm bandaged and bloodied, as he was loaded into an ambulance in Linden. Two officers were wounded in the shootout but were not believed to be seriously hurt, authorities said.

The arrest came just hours after police issued a bulletin and photo of Rahami, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan who lived with Muslim family in an apartment in Elizabeth, New Jersey, over a fried-chicken restaurant owned by his father.

“We have every reason to believe this was an act of terror,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said after the arrest.

Here & Now‘s Meghna Chakrabarti gets the latest from NPR’s Eyder Peralta.

Guest

Eyder Peralta, NPR digital reporter. He tweets @eyderp.