The hunt is on for Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man allegedly responsible for at least three homemade bombs placed in New York and New Jersey over the weekend. Only one of those bombs, in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, actually detonated, though — and pedestrians have thieves to thank for potentially saving many lives.
On Sunday night, two thieves stole a backpack sitting on top of a trash can at a commuter train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey. When the pair opened the bag to see their loot, they were stunned to find five explosives inside. The thieves dropped the bag in the middle of the street and ran to call police.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - December 24, 2024Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - tidings of joy, tides of chaos, and more
-
Panama Canal politics – and what Trump's threats meanThe Explainer The contentious history, and troublesome present, of Central America's vital shipping lane
-
Kremlin seeks to quell Assad divorce reportsSpeed Read Media reports suggest that British citizen Asma al-Assad wants to leave the deposed Syrian dictator and return to London as a British citizen
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
