BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. - The FBI and local police are investigating two homes in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, on Sunday afternoon in connection with protests in New York City on Saturday where two people were arrested for allegedly trying to set off improvised explosive devices.
FBI searching Bucks County homes
What we know:
Officials are serving warrants at two homes in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia — one in Middletown Township, the other near in Newtown Township.
Officials said there was no threat to the public at either location, but asked that people stay away from the areas while teams investigated.
Gracie Mansion protests
The backstory:
Two protests broke out in New York City on Saturday outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence. The initial protest, according to the NYPD, was an anti-Islamic demonstration organized by a "far-right provocateur," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. A larger group of counter-protesters also gathered in the area, and tensions rose between the two groups.
'Suspicious device' found in vehicle blocks from Gracie Mansion: NYPD
The NYPD Bomb Squad has safely removed the device and taken it for testing. Officials said the investigation is connected to Saturday's protests near Gracie Mansion.
During the protests, NYPD officials said that an 18-year-old man, whom they identified as Emir Balat, threw an improvised explosive device into the crowd. Police said the device was a jar wrapped in tape, filled with nuts, bolts, screws and a fuse. The device never detonated.
According to officials, Balat ran from the area, then got another similar device from a man they identified as 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, and tried to run back toward the crowd with it. Balat allegedly dropped the device, and NYPD officers arrested both men.
On Sunday evening, the NYPD bomb squad found a "suspicious device" inside a car near the site of the protests they say is connected to their investigation. The car, officials said, had out-of-state license plates.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Newtown Township Police Department, the Middletown Township Police Department, the New York Police Department, and previous FOX reports.