Drone sightings reported on Long Island, police say
The conversation in a group chat between Matt Ambro and his friends Thursday evening centered on the reports of drone sightings in the tristate area that began in November.
Ambro, 32, said many of his friends in the text thread were saying they had started to see the 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. Many more residents posted grainy video and photos on social media, all wondering the same question: What are they?
That answer remains elusive.
The FBI and federal Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement Thursday in response to ongoing reports of drones in New Jersey that stated there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety 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 statement said, adding that a review of imagery shows many of the reported sightings “are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X Friday, "We know New Yorkers have spotted drones in the air this week & we are investigating. At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat. We are coordinating with federal partners including @FBI & @DHSgov to protect New Yorkers."
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.”
Residents in areas from New York City to western parts of Pennsylvania have also reported sightings, the Associated Press reported.
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.
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 the 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 a briefing.
“We want to get to the bottom of these recent sightings ASAP,” Schumer said in a statement.
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.
Breanna Norris, 33, who lives in Rocky Point with her fiance and three children, said she’s been “obsessing” over the drone story from the beginning. 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.”
The conversation in a group chat between Matt Ambro and his friends Thursday evening centered on the reports of drone sightings in the tristate area that began in November.
Ambro, 32, said many of his friends in the text thread were saying they had started to see the 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. Many more residents posted grainy video and photos on social media, all wondering the same question: What are they?
That answer remains elusive.
The FBI and federal Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement Thursday in response to ongoing reports of drones in New Jersey that stated there was “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety 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 statement said, adding that a review of imagery shows many of the reported sightings “are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X Friday, "We know New Yorkers have spotted drones in the air this week & we are investigating. At this time, there’s no evidence that these drones pose a public safety or national security threat. We are coordinating with federal partners including @FBI & @DHSgov to protect New Yorkers."
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.”
Residents in areas from New York City to western parts of Pennsylvania have also reported sightings, the Associated Press reported.
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.
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 the 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 a briefing.
“We want to get to the bottom of these recent sightings ASAP,” Schumer said in a statement.
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.
Breanna Norris, 33, who lives in Rocky Point with her fiance and three children, said she’s been “obsessing” over the drone story from the beginning. 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.”
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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