Report: LGBT blog in New York bomb attack a hoax

According to a report, investigators have dismissed a mysterious LGBT blogger who claimed responsibility for the blast in New York over the weekend.

On Saturday a pressure cooker bomb detonated in Manhattan’s Chelsea district. an area popular with the gay community in the city, injuring 29 people. A second nearby device was defused.

In the wake of the explosion, two chilling Tumblr blog posts went viral, claiming responsibility for the attack, apparently on behalf of the LGBT community.

“You probably have all seen the news by now, the explosives detonated in New York City, that was me,” wrote the unknown person, referring to the blog as his or her “manifesto”.

“I did it because I cannot stand society. I cannot live in a world where homosexuals like myself as well as the rest of the LGBTQ+ community are looked down upon by society.

“It is 2016 and we are still being viewed as mentally ill, sinners, attention seekers, and just plain weirdos in general. I am not going to stand by while under classed and underprivileged people are oppressed.

“This is not the end, this is just the beginning. I will be remembered. I will make a difference. I will eliminate my targets before it is too late,” the blogger claimed.

The posts have since been taken down, and while they have not been formally discounted in the ongoing investigation, they appear to have been a hoax.

A law enforcement official told AP that federal investigators “have discounted a claim of responsibility for the New York City bombing on the social blogging service Tumblr”.

The official, who was not authorised to comment to the press, said that after looking into the blog, investigators “don’t consider it relevant to the case”.

The motive for the blast remains unclear, but police have now detained five people for questioning. A 28-year-old man, Ahmad Khan Rahami, is also being sought in connection with the attack.