Ahmad Khan Rahimi, an Afghan-born U.S. citizen accused of planting bombs in New York and New Jersey (Pictured: May 2017)
Never before seen footage of an accused terrorist dubbed the ‘Chelsea Bomber’ shows the suspect experimenting with explosives in his backyard just days before setting off a homemade bomb in New York City.
Ahmad Rahimi, 29, is standing trial for planting and detonating an explosive device in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood on September 17, 2016, which wounded 30 people.
The new footage unveiled by federal prosecutors on Thursday shows Rahimi igniting a device in the backyard of his Elizabeth, New Jersey apartment on September 15, just two days before the Chelsea attack.
Prosecutors revealed new footage of suspected ‘Chelsea Bomber’ Ahmad Rahimi on Thursday
Rahimi, 29, is accused of detonating a bomb in NYC’s Chelsea district on September 17, 2016
Footage allegedly shows Rahimi igniting a small, black device two days before the attack that wounded 30 people
The apartment is located above First American Fried Chicken, a restaurant that Rahami’s family owns.
The video opens to the Afghani-born US citizen holding a small, box-shaped gadget in his hand. He places the object on the ground in the middle of his backyard and ignites it with a lighter.
An unidentified woman can be seen capturing the event on a cellphone.
The device begins to emit a modest amount of smoke when suddenly a large flame shoots up from the object, startling the woman.
‘The video depicts the lighting of the fuse, a loud noise and flames, followed by billowing smoke and laughter,’ court documents explain.
If convicted, Rahimi will likely spend the rest of his life behind prison.
Rahimi is also suspected of planting other explosives around New York and New Jersey.
If convicted, the Afghanistan-born US citizen will likely spend the rest of his life behind prison
He was captured two days after the bombings in New Jersey following a violent shootout with police
Proceeding in Rahimi’s case, which kicked off on Monday, began with a disruptive start when the 29-year-old was ordered to leave for trying to address the court without permission.
On Tuesday, other never-before-seen evidence was introduced to the court showing the devastation that occurred in the wake of the bombing.
Rahimi is facing multiple felony counts including attempted murder and using a weapon of mass destruction.
He allegedly used a pressure cooker and a cellphone timer to create the blast, planting the device in a dumpster.
Minutes after the Chelsea explosive detonated, Rahimi is suspected of planting a second bomb just several blocks away.
Luckily, that device was discovered by two EgyptAir guards and removed by authorities before it could explode.
Rahimi is also thought to have placed another bomb in New Jersey which injured no one and other devices that did not detonate.
Rahimi was captured two days later in New Jersey following a violent shootout between himself and local authorities.
Two officers were wounded in the altercation, which erupted on the streets of Linden, New Jersey.
Rahimi was shot between eight and 12 times, according to court documents.
He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Members of the (FBI) and other law enforcement officials investigate a residence in connection to the bombing in Chelsea on September 19, 2016