2014 FBI probe of Rahami revealed no terror ties

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - As new and disturbing details emerge about alleged bomber Ahmad Rahami, the FBI said he appears to have acted alone and is not part of a terror cell.

The New York FBI office confirmed to Fox 5 News that Rahami was on its radar. The FBI said in a statement that "The FBI conducted internal database reviews, interagency checks, and multiple interviews, none of which revealed ties to terrorism."

To Rep. Peter King, chair of the counter-terrorism subcommittee, this in itself is troubling.

"We've seen this in Boston, with the Boston bombing, we've seen it in San Bernardino, we've seen it in Orlando," King said. "Now it appears we see it in New Jersey, where the FBI had information, closed out their own investigation, and really did not keep the local police informed of what was happening."

King said other factors warranted closer scrutiny of Rahami, such as his trips to Afghanistan and his wife and mother leaving the country in the days before the bombings. Then there are the devices themselves. Bomb experts said the timing devices indicated a level of sophistication not likely from internet instructions or a first time try.

"How do you carry around pressure cooker bombs, where do you keep them, where do you store them?" King said. "We're not talking about hand grenades. We're talking about pressure cooker bombs, pipe bombs. This guy had an arsenal. Where did he keep that?"

Those are some of the issues being looked at by the NYPD and FBI, and their partners in the Joint Terrorism Task Force, often called the JTTF. Rahami reportedly had writings praising well-known terror leaders, and shared anti-American videos with his sister.

New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the evidence indicates an act of terror.

Another key issue is the choice of locations. Seaside Park was the scene of a charity run for the U.S. Marines. Chelsea is a predominantly LGBTQ community. Both groups have been the targets of terrorists in the past.