Oh, you’re going to want to sit down for this one—because just when you thought Manhattan couldn’t get any more unhinged, along comes a story that makes you wonder who exactly is running the show in the city that never sleeps.
A man—yes, a grown man, 55 years old—was indicted for allegedly whipping up not one, not two, but multiple improvised explosive devices and casually stashing them on rooftops in SoHo like some deranged Easter egg hunt. And that’s not all. Prosecutors say he even hurled one of those IEDs onto subway tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge, because apparently New Yorkers don’t already have enough to worry about on their commutes.
But here’s the kicker: Michael Gann, from Inwood, New York, isn’t some misunderstood tinkerer in his garage. According to the feds, he was ordering chemicals, wires, and parts online starting in May. One device, they claim, packed a blast potential that’s 600 times what you’re legally allowed to have in fireworks. Let that sink in—600 times. And you thought your neighbor’s Fourth of July celebration was loud.
Now imagine this stew of chaos simmering while city leaders are busy debating bike lanes and handing out taxpayer-funded perks to illegal immigrants. Meanwhile, someone is literally stocking rooftops with explosives. Think about that for a second.
And just when you think the whole thing can’t get more unsettling, investigators say Gann’s internet search history reads like the greatest hits of “How to cause a disaster”: “chlorine bomb,” “½ stick dynamite,” “black powder nearby.” He even wondered online if he’d pass a background check—because priorities, right?
Manhattan bomb plot foiled as feds charge NY man with building, stashing IEDs across city.
Suspect, Michael Gann, 55, of Inwood, placed IEDs on NYC subway tracks and residential rooftops according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New Yorkhttps://t.co/6PokIBBNTe— Blue Lives Matter (@RetiredNYCPD) July 23, 2025
Then there’s this jaw-dropping little nugget: on March 26, from his own X account, he posted a cryptic rant aimed straight at the President, musing about protests, riots, and whether a bomb would be an easier solution. And the public? Completely unaware. Going about their lives, walking under those very rooftops, riding those subway lines, while this guy was allegedly playing mad scientist.
And here’s where you have to stop and breathe—because yes, law enforcement swooped in, yes, they saved countless lives, but let’s not pretend this ends neatly. He was arrested June 5, after allegedly lying about the location of one of his devices. That same day, on Instagram, he taunted, “Who wants me to go out to play like no tomorrow?” Chilling. Absolutely chilling.
Man accused of making bombs by purchasing raw ingredients online. He planted them at multiple places in #NYC. Gann was indicted & faces several federalcharges.#NYPD pic.twitter.com/I4KUisMRfB
— Dr. Subhash (@Subhash_LiveS) July 23, 2025
So what’s the takeaway? That in one of the most tightly controlled, surveillance-heavy cities in the country, someone could allegedly build and plant bombs under everyone’s nose—and only sheer vigilance stopped it from becoming unthinkable. Think about how that makes you feel the next time you look up at a rooftop in Manhattan or step onto a subway platform.
