New York law enforcement investigators on Sunday were looking at a surveillance tape that showed a white man in his 40s who appeared to be walking away from the area where a car bomb was placed Saturday evening in Times Square, looking over his shoulder and removing a layer of clothing, the New York Times reported.
The Times also reported that there was no evidence supporting a claim by a by a Pakistani Taliban group that it was responsible for the car bomb. The group has a reputation for making such false claims, the Times reported.
On Sunday, the FBI office in New York issued a press release stating:
“FBI and NYPD investigators are aware of the various reports of claims for placing the car and device in Times Square. As we’ve seen previously, it is not uncommon after any similar event for claims of responsibility to be made—and those claims will be investigated. Knowingly providing false information can be a crime.
“Since the beginning of the investigation, there have been numerous reports in the public domain, many of which will eventually be determined to be inaccurate.”
The New York Daily News reported that investigators were also looking into the possibility of a link to threats made to Comedy Central after an Islamic group expressed anger about a South Park cartoon that mocked Islamic Prophet Muhammad, portraying him as a mascot bear.
