A woman in her 30s and her son were rescued by neighbours after a device was thrown at their front door.
Stewart Dickson MLA said: “We are extremely lucky that nobody was hurt in this attack. Somebody could have easily been killed and we would now be assessing a much more devastating scene.
“Those behind this attack must be stopped, sending a clear signal that behaviour like this will not be tolerated in Carrickfergus.
“I hope the mother and son in question are recovering well and my thoughts are with them. I would urge anyone with information on the suspects to contact the PSNI as soon as possible.”