Ahmad Khan Rahimi found guilty of New York bombing
- Published
A 29-year-old New Jersey man has been convicted on all charges of planting two bombs on New York City streets last year, injuring dozens of people.
Ahmad Khan Rahimi, an Afghan-born US citizen, left two devices in Manhattan on 17 September 2016.
The first bomb on West 23rd Street in Chelsea blew up injuring more than 30 people, and the other four blocks away was disarmed by the authorities.
Rahimi was a "soldier in a holy war against Americans", prosecutors said.
The bomber, who lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, faces a mandatory punishment of life in prison.
Jurors returned their guilty verdict on Monday morning on their second day of deliberations after a two-week trial at a federal court in Manhattan.
"Rahimi's crimes of hate have been met with swift and resolute justice," Acting US Attorney Joon Kim said in a statement.
The bomber had planned to "kill and maim as many innocent people as possible", the prosecutor added.
He was convicted of eight charges, including using a weapon of mass destruction and bombing a public place.
The court heard that Rahimi left his home on the morning of the crime armed with nine bombs in order carry out a "cold and calculating attack".
The first bombing location he chose was along the route of a Marine Corps charity race in Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Due to a last-minute change to the race schedule, no people were injured when that pipe bomb detonated.
A bomb disposal robot tried to disarm a device under a bridge near the station
The remaining devices were left in a backpack at a train station in New Jersey on the day after the weekend attack.
The trial heard that Rahimi's fingerprints and DNA were discovered on both bombs laid in New York City.
Jurors also saw CCTV footage of the suspect walking the Manhattan streets to where the bombs were placed.
They were also shown the 100lb (45kg) mangled rubbish bin, which was blasted more than 120ft (36 metres) in the air by one of the pressure cooker bombs.
Rahimi was arrested two days after the attacks following a shootout with police in New Jersey that left him in hospital for weeks.
Prosecutors told the trial that police found a notebook on the suspect which contained a "claim of credit" for the bombs.
He still faces charges in New Jersey of attempted murder of police officers.
The trial heard he began following terrorist propaganda in 2012, and was inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda.
A sentencing is scheduled for 18 January.
- Published19 September 2016
