The New York Times has several interesting tidbits in its article about the failed car bomb in Times Square. For instance, the bomber had tried to erase the vehicle identification number off his car by erasing it off the dashboard, but missed the VIN on the engine block and the axle.
This shows basic sophistication on the bomber's part in trying to cover his tracks, but not to the full extent about knowing the location of the VIN on other parts of the vehicle.
Here's one of the bits of information I found interesting:
The gun locker, which weighed about 75 pounds empty and upward of 200 pounds with the eight bags of fertilizer in it, could provide important clues because it was likely to be more easily traced than many of the other items found in the S.U.V.
The weight of the locker and the material inside raised questions as to whether it might have required more than one person to load it into the vehicle.
Who else was involved in this attack? We don't know yet at this point in time, but it's interesting to think about.
In order for the gun locker and the bags of fertilizer to be lifted into the car, the bomber would either have to be very strong, or else have required the help of an individual. Also, the bomber had planned far ahead in escaping the vehicle by bringing an extra change of clothing to evade any sort of identification based on his initial clothing at the scene of the crime:
Investigators were reviewing surveillance footage that showed an unidentified man walking away from West 45th Street, where the Nissan Pathfinder had been parked. The man was seen in Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th and 45th Streets, looking furtively over his shoulder and removing a dark shirt, revealing a red one underneath, officials said. The man then stuffed the dark shirt into a bag, officials said.
Police also are currently reviewing footage from license plate readers and cameras at the tollbooths. That's where they might likely be able to get a clearer shot of the driver of the vehicle. So far, what we know is that he's a white guy in his forties. Also, local enforcement don't think there's any connection between the bombing attempt in Times Square and the Taliban at this point.
I think it'll be a matter of time before the police and federal law enforcement catches this guy. For instance, it's hard to escape from a place like Times Square without getting your image caught onscreen. I don't know if they have released any photos of the bomber yet, but they may do so in the days to come in order to get the full participation of the public in apprehending this person.