Timeline: Explosions Hit Jersey Shore, Manhattan; Authorities Apprehend Suspect After Shootout

An intense series of incidents that began when a pipe bomb exploded on the Jersey Shore came to an end Monday afternoon when authorities in New Jersey apprehended a man suspected to be behind the explosion in New Jersey and the explosion that took place Saturday night in New York City.

The suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was taken into custody following a shootout with police in Linden, New Jersey. Rahami was found by a local police officer sleeping in a doorway Monday morning, according to Linden Police Capt. James Sarnicki. A shootout ensued when Rahami pulled a handgun and shot the officer in the chest after the officer ordered him to show his hands, Sarnicki said. A second officer was also injured in the shootout. Multiple officers arrived on the scene, and Rahami was shot and taken into custody.

At a press conference in Manhattan Monday afternoon, William Sweeney, head of the FBI's New York bureau, said there was no indication of a larger terror cell connected to Rahami and authorities are not looking at any other individuals at this time. Manhattan District Attorney Preet Bharara said Linden police plan to initially arrest and charge Rahami for shooting an officer while federal prosecutors in New York and New Jersey prepare cases against him for the bombings.

Below is a timeline of events that took place, starting with the bombing in Seaside Park, New Jersey.

Saturday, Sept. 17:

9:30 a.m.

A pipe bomb explodes in a trash can in Seaside Park, New Jersey. The explosion happened along a racecourse just as a 5K event, mostly run by Marines, was supposed to begin. The race had been delayed because of a suspicious backpack that was found in the area. Multiple bombs were wired together, but only one exploded, local officials said. No injuries were reported.

8:30 p.m.

A bomb explodes on the corner of 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, injuring at least 29 people, according to the NYPD. The blast closed the area and shut down subway stations in the immediate vicinity. All 29 people injured in the blast were treated and released.

2:30 a.m.

A second device is found on 27th Street, four blocks from the scene of the first explosion. Police safely removed the device, which appeared to be constructed using a pressure cooker. It was taken to the NYPD facility on Rodman's Neck in the Bronx where it was rendered safe before being sent to the FBI's laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

Sunday, Sept. 18

Police began their investigation into the bombing incidents, but at the time, officials said the bombings in New Jersey and New York did not seem to be related, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Cuomo said he had been in contact with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and the two states were coordinating their investigations. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O'Neill had very few new details on Sunday, confirming it was an intentional act and promising the person, or persons, responsible for the attack would be brought to justice.

8:45 p.m.

Two men walking out of a restaurant discover a backpack containing five explosives near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The men contacted police after discovering that the backpack contained "wires and a pipe." The investigation was turned over to the FBI. One of the explosives was in the process of being rendered safe when it exploded around 12:30 a.m. The incident created a nightmare for commuters. Officials have not linked the Elizabeth incident to Rahami and no arrests have been made.

9:30 p.m.

Around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, five men were taken into custody by the FBI as they crossed from Staten Island into Brooklyn over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, sources told Patch. On Monday, officials said the car was stopped because it had been located at an address associated with the suspect. No charges were filed.

Monday, Sept. 19

Police send out an alert around 7:30 a.m. identifying the suspect wanted for the bombing in Chelsea as Rahami. The FBI later confirms he is wanted in connection with the first bombing in Seaside Park, New Jersey. Around 11 a.m., reports start emerging about a possible shooting in Linden, New Jersey.

11:30 a.m.

Rahami is taken into custody after a shootout with police in Linden.

See Patch's full coverage on the weekend's bombings:

• Ahmad Khan Rahami 'Directly Linked' to NYC and NJ Bombings, Feds Say: UPDATES
• Explosive Devices Found at Elizabeth Station Delaying Amtrak, NJ Transit
• 5 Taken Into Custody Near Verrazano Bridge in Connection With Chelsea Bombing: Sources
• Chelsea Explosion Latest: 29 Injured in New York City Blast
• Pipe Bomb Explodes Along 5K Seaside Park Racecourse on Jersey Shore
• Jersey Shore Pipe Bomb Explosion in Seaside Park: Christie Cites 'Promising Leads' in Investigation

Image via Andrew Cuomo/Flickr

With reporting by Colin Miner, Marc Torrence, Karen Wall, Tom Davis, Simone Wilson and Mark Osborne