There were several terror scares this past weekend from explosions in the New York and New Jersey areas. The first blast took place in Seaside Park, New Jersey, right before a charity bike race was about to start. Fortunately, the race was delayed and no one was injured. On Saturday evening, an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City injured 29 individuals and had authorities investigating it as a possible terror attack. Additionally, several other devices were found in a garbage can in a New Jersey Transit station in Elizabeth, NJ. These devices were detonated by police and no one was injured.
The biggest question facing authorities on Sunday was whether or not the three incidents were connected. “We have every reason to believe this was an act of terror,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.
There was one suspect who police were on the lookout for, who was finally apprehended on Monday afternoon during a shootout with police in Linden, New Jersey. The perpetrator, Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, was suspected to have been directly involved with all three terror acts. Rahami, an American citizen, lived with his family above their chicken restaurant in Linden, and was reported to have made several trips to Afghanistan, according to law enforcement officials.
There is an ongoiong investigation into the motive of these acts, but there is no current suspicion of international terrorism.
These events hit close to home at UNH, being in close proximity to the sites. One student, junior Samantha Barrow had a personal connection to the incident, particularly the first one. Barrow’s father, a former marine, was at the Semper Five charity race in New Jersey on Saturday morning. He said that the event ended up being cancelled because an unattended backpack was found between two trash cans. After evacuating the area, the bomb went off, but there were no injuries.
Barrow was at the UNH home opener football game on Saturday when she received a call from her father. “I was pretty disturbed,” she says, “to be here and hear that my home had been bombed. It was insane.”
She was also upset about the fact that this happened at a charity race full of former military personnel. “I just don’t understand how someone could target a group of people who only try to help everyone.”
The events in New York and New Jersey are close enough to West Haven that it puts our own law enforcement officers on high alert. Newly sworn in Chief of Campus Police, Tracey Mooney, said that these events are “very concerning” but that “the campus is safe.”
Since the suspect has been apprehended, there is no immediate terror cell causing major anxiety for law enforcement at the moment. However, authorities at UNH and in the surrounding areas remain on heightened alert.
There are several procedures put in place by Campus Police to prepare for similar events in case they were to happen on or around campus, such as when there was a gunman on campus 3 years ago. Mooney says that she is not aware of any threats to the New Haven area or any extreme measures being taken by New Haven Police.

“Students should remain vigilant and remain engaged. As always, if you see something, say something,” Mooney said. Campus Police is taking every measure to investigate credible suspicious activity.