An explosion that injured 29 people when it rocked a crowded Manhattan neighborhood Saturday night has been determined to be an "intentional act," and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was clearly "an act of terrorism."
The explosion, on West 23rd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood, was reported around 8:30 p.m. Twenty-nine people were hospitalized with injuries, but they had all been released by Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
"A bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism," Cuomo said Sunday morning.
Latest developments:- Surveillance video mayshow the same man at both locations where devices werefound
- New suspicious package discovered in New Jersey
- "Vehicle of interest" stopped in New York late Sunday
- Governor orders 1,000 state troopers and National Guard soldiers to New York City
- Authorities investigating 911 call claiming responsibility
- Both NYC "bomb" and explosive device in New Jersey used flip-phones
Less than three hours after the blast, an object police described as a "possible secondary device" was found just a few blocks away from the original explosion on 27th Street while officers were combing the area. Cuomo said the device was "similar in design" to the one that detonated just blocks away.
Authorities studying surveillance video on Sunday from both areas may have identified the same man at each location, law enforcement sources told NBC New York.
Tweet 1
The device from the second location was later sent to an NYPD range in the Bronx aboard a special containment vessel, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's office said. The device was "rendered safe" and was being sent to a special FBI facility in Quantico, Va., for examination, police said Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the FBI confirmed that a "vehicle of interest in the investigation" was stopped near the Verrazano Bridge in New York late Sunday. No one had been charged, and "the investigation is ongoing," said a spokesperson who gave no further details.
More from NBC News:
Authorities Probing Possible Similarities Between Explosive Devices in N.Y. and N.J.: Sources
Rigged Pressure Cookers Have Long History Among Bombers Worldwide
Nine Hurt in Minnesota Mall Knife Attack, Suspect Killed
And police and the FBI responded late Sunday night to a suspicious package near the Elizabeth transit station at 11 West Street. Authorities didn't say whether they believed the package might be related. New Jersey Transit suspended service between Newark Airport and the Elizabeth station.
De Blasio said Saturday night that the blast hadn't been linked to terrorism, but Cuomo clarified that the explosion hadn't been linked to an international terrorist group. "A bomb going off is generically a terrorist activity," Cuomo said.
De Blasio and other city officials stressed that the investigation was in its early stages and that while investigators had been able to determine that the blast was "criminal" and "intentional," they hadn't nailed down a suspect or a motive.