Drone sightings reported on Long Island, police say
Matt Ambro's group chat with friends Thursday evening was dominated by the recent reports of drone sightings — in New Jersey and elsewhere in the tristate area — that have sparked concern and alarm.
Ambro, 32, said many of his friends in the text thread were saying they had started to see unidentified objects above Long Island. He walked to the back deck of his Wading River home and sure enough, he said he spotted what appeared to be the blinking lights of a drone.
He wasn’t the only one. Suffolk County police confirmed the department received 16 reports of drone sightings in its jurisdiction Thursday, and many residents posted grainy video footage and photos on social media of objects believed to be drones.
New York State police said Friday they had received "numerous reports" of drone sightings over the past 24 hours, but did not clarify whether they had occurred on Long Island or in other parts of the state. Nassau County police Friday evening could not confirm if any sightings had been reported there.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that the reports in New York were being investigated and the state is coordinating with federal agencies.
"At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat," she posted on X.
The unusual nighttime sightings, believed to have started in New Jersey last month, have confounded local elected officials, who have demanded answers from the federal government. And as the unidentified objects continue to be spotted on a near-daily basis, they have given rise to a host of conspiracy theories trying to determine who, or what, is behind them.
The FBI and federal Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement Thursday in response to the ongoing reports of drones in New Jersey that stated the objects did not appear to be a threat or "have a foreign nexus.”
There have been no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space, the agencies said.
“Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities,” the agencies added. A review of imagery shows many of the reported sightings, the statement said, “are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully.”
Angelo Roefaro, a spokesman for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), said the majority leader has requested a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security, FAA and FBI on how these agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify the flying objects. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and two senators from New Jersey, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, also joined in the call for information.
“We want to get to the bottom of these recent sightings ASAP,” Schumer said in a statement.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman called for "federal elected officials to come forward, be transparent and tell the public exactly what’s going on," in a post on X Friday.
President-elect Donald Trump also weighed in Friday night, posting on Truth Social, "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now."
He also echoed calls made by other lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, for the objects to be shot down.
In a statement Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said it “continues to support interagency partners to assess the situation and the ongoing reported drone sightings.”
Donna Sargent, a Centereach resident for 50 years, said she called police Thursday evening after she looked outside and was “shocked” to see two or three possible drones.
She described seeing flashing red and green lights on one shaped like a triangle that she said appeared to be flying toward Middle Country Road.
“Anybody who is not concerned about this needs to have their heads examined,” she said.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico said Friday he had seen social media posts about drones, but hadn't observed anything himself.
“I think the federal government should have an accurate response and should tell the people exactly what is going on,” he said.
Jacob Biondi, 23, who is friends with Ambro, said he didn’t see anything at first when he looked outside his Wading River home Thursday evening. But on a second try, he said he spotted “two things that were flying in sync with each other.”
He couldn’t tell for sure if they were drones, but said they appeared “to be moving left, right, very quickly.”
Breanna Norris, 33, who lives in Rocky Point with her fiance and three children, said she’s been “obsessing” over the drone reports. She also described seeing red and green lights on objects flying overhead, which she’s recorded and posted on TikTok.
She said she was skeptical at first until she saw one herself for the first time about a week ago.
“It’s just really hard to explain,” she said. “They don’t have a sound and it’s just like they’re floating. It’s very bizarre.”
Drone sightings were also reported Thursday evening in Staten Island, according to media reports. State police said any sightings can be reported via email "with time, date, location and any pictures or video to crimetip@troopers.ny.gov."
Frederick Walter, a professor in Stony Brook University’s Physics and Astronomy department, said the FAA requires green and red lights on a drone’s wings. He cautioned that confirmation bias could come into play as people look up at the busy skies over Suffolk County.
“You tell people, 'Go and look at the sky for something you’ve never seen before,' they’ll see things they’ve never seen before and report them as unidentified,” he said.
He said while there may be something in the sky that residents don't recognize, "That doesn't mean its otherworldly, it doesn't mean it's a top-secret thing."
"It just means we don't know," he added.
Matt Ambro's group chat with friends Thursday evening was dominated by the recent reports of drone sightings — in New Jersey and elsewhere in the tristate area — that have sparked concern and alarm.
Ambro, 32, said many of his friends in the text thread were saying they had started to see unidentified objects above Long Island. He walked to the back deck of his Wading River home and sure enough, he said he spotted what appeared to be the blinking lights of a drone.
He wasn’t the only one. Suffolk County police confirmed the department received 16 reports of drone sightings in its jurisdiction Thursday, and many residents posted grainy video footage and photos on social media of objects believed to be drones.
New York State police said Friday they had received "numerous reports" of drone sightings over the past 24 hours, but did not clarify whether they had occurred on Long Island or in other parts of the state. Nassau County police Friday evening could not confirm if any sightings had been reported there.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- More than a dozen drone sightings were reported in Suffolk County Thursday, according to county police.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul said the reports in New York were being investigated but there was no evidence that the objects posed "a public safety or national security threat."
- Local elected officials are demanding answers from the federal government about the unusual nighttime sightings, which are believed to have started in New Jersey last month.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that the reports in New York were being investigated and the state is coordinating with federal agencies.
"At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat," she posted on X.
The unusual nighttime sightings, believed to have started in New Jersey last month, have confounded local elected officials, who have demanded answers from the federal government. And as the unidentified objects continue to be spotted on a near-daily basis, they have given rise to a host of conspiracy theories trying to determine who, or what, is behind them.
The FBI and federal Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement Thursday in response to the ongoing reports of drones in New Jersey that stated the objects did not appear to be a threat or "have a foreign nexus.”
There have been no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space, the agencies said.
“Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities,” the agencies added. A review of imagery shows many of the reported sightings, the statement said, “are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully.”
Angelo Roefaro, a spokesman for Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), said the majority leader has requested a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security, FAA and FBI on how these agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify the flying objects. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and two senators from New Jersey, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, also joined in the call for information.
“We want to get to the bottom of these recent sightings ASAP,” Schumer said in a statement.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman called for "federal elected officials to come forward, be transparent and tell the public exactly what’s going on," in a post on X Friday.
President-elect Donald Trump also weighed in Friday night, posting on Truth Social, "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now."
He also echoed calls made by other lawmakers, including Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, for the objects to be shot down.
In a statement Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration said it “continues to support interagency partners to assess the situation and the ongoing reported drone sightings.”
Suffolk sightings
Donna Sargent, a Centereach resident for 50 years, said she called police Thursday evening after she looked outside and was “shocked” to see two or three possible drones.
She described seeing flashing red and green lights on one shaped like a triangle that she said appeared to be flying toward Middle Country Road.
“Anybody who is not concerned about this needs to have their heads examined,” she said.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico said Friday he had seen social media posts about drones, but hadn't observed anything himself.
“I think the federal government should have an accurate response and should tell the people exactly what is going on,” he said.
Jacob Biondi, 23, who is friends with Ambro, said he didn’t see anything at first when he looked outside his Wading River home Thursday evening. But on a second try, he said he spotted “two things that were flying in sync with each other.”
He couldn’t tell for sure if they were drones, but said they appeared “to be moving left, right, very quickly.”
Breanna Norris, 33, who lives in Rocky Point with her fiance and three children, said she’s been “obsessing” over the drone reports. She also described seeing red and green lights on objects flying overhead, which she’s recorded and posted on TikTok.
She said she was skeptical at first until she saw one herself for the first time about a week ago.
“It’s just really hard to explain,” she said. “They don’t have a sound and it’s just like they’re floating. It’s very bizarre.”
Drone sightings were also reported Thursday evening in Staten Island, according to media reports. State police said any sightings can be reported via email "with time, date, location and any pictures or video to crimetip@troopers.ny.gov."
Frederick Walter, a professor in Stony Brook University’s Physics and Astronomy department, said the FAA requires green and red lights on a drone’s wings. He cautioned that confirmation bias could come into play as people look up at the busy skies over Suffolk County.
“You tell people, 'Go and look at the sky for something you’ve never seen before,' they’ll see things they’ve never seen before and report them as unidentified,” he said.
He said while there may be something in the sky that residents don't recognize, "That doesn't mean its otherworldly, it doesn't mean it's a top-secret thing."
"It just means we don't know," he added.
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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Updated now Newsday investigation: Suffolk cop back on duty ... Newsday's All Long Island Football team ... What's up on LI ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
