FBI, NYPD release new clues in 2008 Times Square bombing of military recruitment site
Authorities increased the reward for the suspect to $65,000 in the attack without injuries.
BY ROCCO PARASCANDOLA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2013, 11:41 AM
Anyone with information on the bombing is asked to call the FBI at (212) 384-1000.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly praises law enforcement for keeping New York City safe from terrorists
Man on the tracks injures longtime cop
As many as six people may have been involved in the 2008 bombing of a military recruitment station in Times Square, the FBI and NYPD said Tuesday.
The bomber fled the scene on a blue Ross bicycle and has never been caught.
“Although the suspect appears to be working alone, he or she may have had a lookout or surveillance team of as many as five other individuals in Times Square at the time of the attack,” the FBI and NYPD said in a statement.
The homemade device was built using an ammunition can filled with black powder and detonated using a time fuse.
Authorities Tuesday also announced an increase to $65,000 in reward money.
A surveillance viceo of the suspect is available here.
The explosion occurred at 3:40 a.m. on March 6, 2008.
The suspect ditched the bike in a trash bin near Madison Ave. and E. 38th St.
No one was injured, but the blast rattled guests in nearby hotels along with passersby on the street and straphangers in the subway beneath Times Square.
The homemade device was built using an ammunition can filled with black powder and detonated using a time fuse.
The suspect was captured on video riding west on W. 37th St., turning right onto Sixth Ave., and then making a left onto W. 47th St. and another left onto Seventh Ave.
The explosion occurred at 3:40 a.m. on March 6, 2008.
He got off his bike near the recruiting station at W. 43rd St. and Seventh, lit a fuse and pedaled off.
The suspect rode the bike south on Broadway and turned left onto W. 38th St., ditching the bike in a trash bin near Madison Ave. and E. 38th St.
Never-before-seen video released Tuesday shows the bomber riding up to the scene, then fleeing.
Newly released video shows the bomber riding up to the scene, then fleeing.
Authorities are still investigating the possibility the suspect was involved in two other unsolved bombings, one at the British Consulate in 2005 and the other at the Mexican Consulate in 2007.
“Someone, somewhere, knows something about a bomber who's still on the run," said FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos. “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.”
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the bomber could easily have killed or maimed people in the area.
"While published reports have repeatedly cited the early-morning time of the attack and the lack of casualties, the fact is the bomber narrowly missed killing or injuring passersby who can be seen clearly in the vicinity, moments before the blast," Kelly said. “The distance between polemics by bombing and the murdering of innocents is short, indeed."
The suspect is last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and pants of an unknown color. The height, weight, age, sex, and race of the suspect are unknown.
Anyone with information on any of the three bombings is encouraged to call the FBI at (212) 384-1000.
