Emergency mobile alert on New York explosion suspect sent after incident
by Sam Thielman in New York from Technology | The Guardian on (#1V908)
The Wireless Emergency Alert asked residents Monday morning to help look for Ahmad Khan Rahami, the first time the system has been used in a manhunt
New Yorkers were rattled Monday morning by an alert from the Wireless Emergency Alert system (WEA) on their mobile devices, calling for their aid in a manhunt for someone suspected of terrorism, the first time the system has been used for such a callout.
The alert, sent to some but not all cellphones in the New York area, read: "WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-yr-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen." The alert was sent between 7.30 and 8.30am on Monday. By 11.25am, officials had announced that Rahami had been taken into custody after a shootout in Linden, New Jersey.
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