Suspect in Times Square blast timed assault for maximum impact

NEW YORK — The suspect in an attempted terror attack near Times Square told investigators that he timed the assault to coincide with the Christmas season for the greatest possible impact — lashing out in the name of the Islamic State, a law enforcement official said Monday.

The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly while the investigation is ongoing, said Akayed Ullah, a Bangladesh native in the U.S. since 2011, has been cooperating with authorities from the New York City Police Department and the FBI is interrogating him extensively.

Ullah, 27, was wearing an improvised, low-tech explosive device he detonated in a crowded pedestrian tunnel during the morning rush at about 7:20 a.m. ET, Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. 

Ullah, who lives in Brooklyn, was taken into custody and rushed to Bellevue Hospital with burns on his abdomen and hands. Three people near him also were injured.

Ullah expected to die in the attack and believed that others would perish with him, the official said. The official said the suspect waived his rights to counsel before speaking with investigators.

The device was described as crudely made, though the suspect appeared to have some background in electrical work. 

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