According to recent reports, one of the suspects linked to the ISIS-inspired bombing at a protest near Gracie Mansion was once a tech-savvy entrepreneur known for developing sneaker-buying software.
Before the arrest of 18-year-old Emir Balat on federal charges for allegedly throwing homemade explosive devices at an anti-Islam rally outside Zohran Mamdani’s residence on the Upper East Side, the young Pennsylvania native was recognized as a self-made businessman, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
At the age of just 13, Balat created a computer system to purchase in-demand sneakers online, turning a profit by reselling them to fellow teenagers in his Bucks County community, the report detailed.
A Roblox account, believed to be Balat’s, indicates he utilized the platform—often criticized for its susceptibility to grooming and terror recruitment—to expand his sneaker resale venture.
Despite the allegations, Balat’s Roblox account showed no clear signs of radicalization. His online activity portrayed him as a Langhorne teen interested in computers, business, Islam, and learning Spanish, according to the report.
Garry Pozdnyakov, a former sneaker seller in Bucks County and one of Balat’s customers, recalled the suspect as a professional who appeared to be “normal” in his business dealings.
“He was a normal kid,” Pozdnyakov, 25, told the outlet. “He shook my hand and asked about business. I never got signs of an extremist.”
Pozdnyakov would meet him and his father, who ran a construction business, at a Wawa parking lot to swap sneakers, he recalled.
Balat also routinely posted on a Bucks County Exchange Facebook page, listing heavy-duty extension cords, cases of laminate flooring and various home improvement products, The Philadelphia Inquirer said.
His account is now locked and displays a header with a Quranic verse that says, “He released the two seas, meeting [side by side],” the outlet reported.
It is unclear how the teen fell down a rabbit hole of alleged extremism — his parents are both naturalized US citizens from Turkey.
Balat and his alleged accomplice Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, joined a counterdemonstration on Saturday against far-right agitator Jake Lang, who organized the “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” protest outside Mamdani’s residence — the first Muslim mayor in New York City’s history.
Footage captured Balat tossing one of the devices, packed with an explosive material known as “Mother of Satan,” near cops before being handed another bomb by Kayumi, prosecutors and sources said.
The bombs failed to detonate as two hero cops swiftly took down the teens, who sources said self-radicalized and adopted the terror group ISIS’s cause.
Earlier this month, surveillance cameras also recorded Balat coughing up $6.89 for a 20-foot consumer firework safety fuse Phantom Fireworks in Penndel, 6ABC reported.
It is unclear how well the teens knew each other before the attempted terror plot.
Following his arrest, Balat chillingly said he hoped the failed attack would be deadlier than the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people, prosecutors alleged.
