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A man under investigation by the New York FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force because he allegedly discussed wanting to set off an explosive device in the city’s iconic Times Square was being questioned early Friday, three law enforcement sources said.
There is no threat to Times Square and the man has been under surveillance for some time and was closely monitored by authorities, the three law enforcement sources said.
It was unclear if the man was formally arrested, but the officials described the person being monitored as a lone actor, adding that they were taking the threat seriously.
Spokespeople for the New York Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office all declined to comment.
In 2010, Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad attempted to detonate a bomb in Times Square, which did not go off.
He was arrested two days later when a bomb in the back of a sport utility vehicle fizzled with a mere sputter of smoke, drawing the attention of a street vendor who alerted police, the Associated Press reported when he was sentenced later that year.
Shahzad was sentenced to life in prison.
