A former Army soldier carried anti-ICE papers, axes, knives, a machete and a pellet gun to a Manhattan federal building, then lit gasoline and opened fire on the facade while people were heading into work.
Story Snapshot
- Andrew Arrabaca, a former U.S. Army soldier, is accused of attacking 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan with fire and a pellet gun.
- The building houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an immigration court, and Federal Bureau of Investigation offices, making it a prime symbol of federal power.
- Officials say he carried multiple weapons, anti-ICE literature, and made anti-government and anti-ICE statements during the attack.
- Three people suffered minor injuries, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force is treating the case as an extremist targeting of government workers.
How the attack at 26 Federal Plaza unfolded
Federal agents say the attack began just after 8:30 a.m. outside 26 Federal Plaza, home to the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan. The building holds Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, an immigration court, and other federal agencies, which means hundreds of workers and immigrants pass through its doors every weekday.
Officials say 43-year-old Andrew Arrabaca arrived with a cart, weapons, fuel, and fireworks, clearly prepared for more than a simple protest.
A former U.S. Army soldier toting an anti-ICE sign set off fireworks, lit a fire and shot a pellet gun Monday morning outside a Manhattan federal office building, injuring three people before security officers subdued him, authorities said. pic.twitter.com/SAPhdjL0SH
— KTLA (@KTLA) July 20, 2026
Investigators say Arrabaca poured gasoline along a stairwell and near an entrance, then set fireworks or a large firework on top and ignited the mix with a lighter, creating what they call an incendiary device.
Flames raced up the facade as smoke rolled over the entryway, forcing people to flee or duck for cover. At roughly the same time, officials say he pulled out an airsoft rifle or pellet gun and fired five to seven rounds toward the north side of the building.
Weapons, injuries, and the quick takedown
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says Arrabaca did not come lightly armed. According to Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle, he carried a machete, two axes, three knives, a hammer, fireworks or incendiary devices, and the airsoft rifle or pellet gun used in the shooting.
Officials say security officers and agents moved in as the fire spread, tackling Arrabaca and ending the attack before anyone was seriously hurt, though one officer was injured while restraining him.
Three people suffered minor injuries, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security. Two were government workers inside or near the building, and one was an immigrant who had come for a status hearing.
For many Americans, that detail hits hard: someone who followed the rules, showed up for a court date, and still ended up hurt in a politically charged attack. It underlines how these incidents move beyond slogans and strike real people caught in the middle.
Who Andrew Arrabaca is and what officials say drove him
Federal officials say Arrabaca is a former U.S. Army soldier who served on Patriot missile systems as a repairman or mechanic from 2001 to 2005. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security have both described him as “anti-American, anti-government” and focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing his anti-ICE literature and comments at the scene.
Agents say he shouted derogatory remarks about Immigration and Customs Enforcement as he was arrested and admitted targeting the building to harm government employees and civilians.
This case fits a long-running pattern, where most plots against government buildings over the past three decades have come from people with strong anti-government views, often acting alone. Research on terrorism inside the United States shows that most attacks, like this one, end up non-lethal but carry heavy symbolic weight, because they aim at the state itself instead of random targets.
From a common-sense view, this is exactly why government workers need strong protection and why political anger cannot be excused when it turns into violence against public servants.
What happens next and why it matters beyond New York
Arrabaca is now in federal custody while prosecutors decide which charges to bring, a process that could include weapons, arson, and terrorism-related counts once the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force completes its work.
For many readers, the key question is simple: will this be treated as serious domestic extremism, or softened as a lone outburst? Officials’ language so far points strongly to the first, as they stress his anti-government ideology and stated intent to hurt people.
For everyday Americans, this attack is a warning and a test. The warning is that anger at immigration policy and federal power is now driving some people to bring axes and gasoline to federal office doors instead of arguments to the ballot box.
The test is whether our system can still draw a bright line: protest is protected, but trying to burn and shoot your way to a point must be punished hard and fast, no matter the cause.
Sources:
apnews.com, usatoday.com, facebook.com, hindustantimes.com, secretservice.gov, instagram.com, x.com, washingtonpost.com, start.umd.edu, dhs.gov, whitehouse.gov
