The Suspect Behind The NY Bombing To Face Charges

The suspect behind a bombing in New York on Sept. 17, Ahmad Khan Rahami, will be charged with attempted murder, Reuters reported. According to law enforcement officials who spoke to the news organization, Rahami is reportedly being charged with five counts of attempted murder and two gun charges. Rahami was apprehended by law enforcement on Monday morning after a shootout in Linden, New Jersey which wounded two officers. He was then taken to the hospital, and would be held in police custody for questioning and for further investigation.

A senior law enforcement official told NBC News on Monday that Rahami had become a suspect in their investigation after they allegedly found his fingerprint on one of the unexploded devices. He was also reportedly spotted in surveillance footage that was recovered near the area of the explosion in Chelsea. Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press, "Ahmad Khan Rahami is seen in surveillance footage 'clear as day' at the scene of the Saturday night bombing in Manhattan. The official says investigators were also able to recover his fingerprints from the scene."

The motive behind the various incidents remains unclear.

According to CNN, FBI Special Agent William Sweeney indicated on Monday that Rahami was allegedly "'directly linked' to devices in New York and New Jersey." Sweeney also suggested, "I do not have information yet ... on a path of radicalization," according to BuzzFeed. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday, "There is no other individual we are looking for right now," according to USA Today.

Earlier on Monday, The New York Times reported that while there was nothing that indicated that Rahami was associated with any known terrorist organizations, law enforcement officials alleged, "We have a lot to connect him to the Seaside Heights device, to the 27th Street device, to the 23rd Street device. And in all likelihood the Elizabeth train station device — which is a half-mile from his residence. So, the ideology, the connection to international terrorism, we might flesh that out as we go through the results of search warrants, looking for computers, discs, things like this."

Friends of Rahami have described him as "Very funny ... Got along with everyone, was a very nice kid," as a former classmate shared with BuzzFeed. However, the investigation is ongoing, and Rahami should be granted his right to due process as an American citizen.