A quiet street in Gravesend turned tense Wednesday after a suspicious device was found inside a co-op building near West 2nd Street and Avenue Y.
It all started around 10:45 a.m., when a 911 call came in about something concerning inside the building.
What followed was a heavy response. Officers and federal agents rushed to the scene. The street was shut down. People who live in the building say they were told to get out and wait outside for hours while investigators worked.
Video from the scene shows someone in full protective gear walking out of the building carrying a black container. That item was then placed into a specialized police truck designed to safely transport dangerous materials.
Authorities say the item was serious enough to be taken to Rodman’s Neck in the Bronx — a secure NYPD site where suspicious items are tested away from the public.
Right now, officials say they cannot confirm if the device was actually explosive.
A person of interest was taken into custody, but no one has been charged. Officials have not released that person’s name.
It’s also still unclear what led investigators to this building in the first place.
One neighbor, Andrew, who lives across the hall from where this all unfolded, said the situation caught him off guard.
“I haven’t had much conversation with him. He seemed fine, like hi, he’s friendly. Nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.
By the afternoon, the area was reopened. Officials say there is no known threat to the public at this time.
Still, the investigation is ongoing, with federal agents involved, as authorities work to figure out exactly what was found inside that building.