What we know about bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami - Action News
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What we know about bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami

The man taken into custody Monday in connection with homemade bombs planted around New York is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Afghanistan. Police were led to him by a fingerprint, cellphones and surveillance video.

Family owns New Jersey restaurant, claimed discrimination in 2011 lawsuit against local police

The man taken into custody Monday in connection with homemade bombs planted around New York and New Jerseyis a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Afghanistan.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was shot and taken away by ambulance after exchangingfire with police in Linden, N.J., a communityabout 20 kilometres southwest of Manhattan. Rahamiwas conscious as he was taken away.Two police officers were alsowounded in the shootout.

The arrest came after the police issued a cellphone alert to millions in the area telling them to be on the lookout for Rahami. A resident subsequently alerted police about a man who was sleeping in the doorway of a bar.

Earlier Monday, FBI agents raided the home of Rahami's family in neighbouring Elizabeth, N.J., according to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The Rahami family lives in an apartment above a restaurant called First American Fried Chicken, owned by Rahami's father since 2002.

New York police issued these photos of Ahmad Khan Rahami and of a man seen in video surveillance ahead of Rahami's arrest Monday. (NYPD)

Local residents said Ahmad worked in the restaurant and was friendly with customers.

Police were led to the address by a fingerprint on one of theunexploded devices found over the weekend,according to an NBC report.Cellphones left with the homemade bombs that failed to detonate also reportedlypointed to the suspect.

Police have also been reviewingsurveillance images from the areas where the bombs were placed.

During a news conference on Monday afternoon, police saidRahamiwas previously arrested for a "domestic incident," but refused to elaborate. They could not say if he had a criminal record.

They also said they had no indication of motive or whether he was acting alone.

William Sweeney, assistant director of the FBI New York Field Office,said there was "no indicationof a [militant]cell operating in the city" but added, at this point in the investigation, that investigators arenot ruling out anything, including possibleforeign involvement.

A family acquaintance told Reuters that Ahmad Rahami travelled to Afghanistan several years ago.

After this trip, Rahami grew a beard and became more serious and quiet, Flee Jones, a childhood friend, told Reuters.

"He was way more religious," Jones said, adding, "I never knew him as the kind of person who would do anything like this."

Lawsuit claimeddiscrimination

Ahmad, his father Mohammad Sr., 53, and his brother Mohammad Rahami brought a suit against the city, theElizabeth Police Department and 11 police officersin 2011, saying they were being forced to close the restaurant early over "baseless" complaints about noise, while other restaurants in the area stayed open late into the evening.

They claimed in the suit they were being discriminated against because they were Muslim.

Eventually, a compromise was reached with the city and policeallowing therestaurant toclose at midnight or 1 a.m.

Bombs were placed on the route of a charity run in New Jersey on Saturday, one of which went off,and on the streets of New York. One of the New York bombs also detonatedon 23rdStreet, in theChelsea neighbourhood, injuring 29 people.

On Sunday, five explosive devices were discovered at a train station in Elizabeth. One went off while police were trying to disarm it, but no one was injured.

Police have said the sets of bombswere connected.

With files from Reuters