SerpApi.Org
The former U.S. Army soldier who lit fireworks outside a federal building in Manhattan has ties to the Hudson Valley, according to authorities.
Andrew Arrabaca, 43, was listed with a Poughkeepsie residence, federal investigators said. He also graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2008, according to a social media page.
The page lists him as working for Hudson River Community Health, a local healthcare company, since 2009, but it's unclear if that information is up-to-date.
Arrabaca approached 26 Federal Plaza — the site of numerous protests against President Trump and his immigration crackdown — around 8:30 a.m. Monday, July 20, according to authorities.
He then lit the fireworks with gasoline, creating a large flame in front of the building’s employee entrance, before opening fire with the airsoft gun, FBI agents said. He was quickly stopped by security personnel outside the building, and three people suffered minor injuries in the incident, according to the feds.
Arrabaca yelled “derogatory terms” about ICE and “used bad words,” FBI assistant director James Barnacle said at a press conference. Arrabaca was carrying two axes, a machete, a hammer, three knives, and sign that said, "ICE off our streets," according to Barnacle.
Before he graduated from New Paltz, Arrabaca served in the Army from 2001 to 2005, working as a mechanic to repair U.S. missile systems, authorities said.
“What occurred outside 26 Federal Plaza this morning was deeply disturbing,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on social media. “I’m relieved no one was seriously injured and that a suspect is in custody.”
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