On Thursday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Jessica Bowie, a 35‑year‑old woman from Albany, for allegedly plotting to bomb the New York State Capitol in Albany. Prosecutors say Bowie pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and spent weeks surveilling the building, carrying a fake bomb and a defective gun supplied by undercover agents.
According to the complaint, Bowie told agents she wanted “to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators.” She was seized on Wednesday carrying knives and a written oath of allegiance to the group. Images of her in a black niqab with a shopping trolley at a local Home Depot store show the purchase of nails that she said would act as shrapnel. Agents reportedly gave her $200 to buy bomb‑making materials.
Bowie had allegedly selected the state capitol because she believed it would be an easier target than the White House. She claimed she wanted the attack to have “an effect on the American system.” Tests and footage also reveal she used a DoorDash food delivery bag to conceal a potential bomb and documented the building on multiple reconnaissance visits.
Governor Kathy Hochul praised the FBI and state police for neutralizing the threat, stressing that the state had stepped up security amid a rise in political violence and threats against public officials.
