Eight people are dead and at least 15 are injured in what authorities are now calling a terrorist attack that happened Tuesday afternoon in Manhattan. According to eyewitness account the attack occurred when a man drove a Home Depot pickup truck about 20 blocks blocks down a bike path along the Hudson River and near the World Trade Center.
Mayor Bill de Blasio says Lower Manhattan incident was an act of terror, "and a particularly cowardly act of terror." pic.twitter.com/Hu0ape5uf2
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) October 31, 2017
The suspect is a 29-year-old man CNN is reporting who was shouting “Allahu Akbar” before being shot in the abdomen by police and taken to a local hospital where it’s expected he will survive his injuries. There’s been further reporting the suspect is originally from Uzbekistan and came from the United States back in 2010. He was living in Tampa, Florida.
NBC says suspect in NY attack was 29-year-old Uzbek national who came to US in 2010 and was living in Tampa, Fla.
— Barbara Demick (@BarbaraDemick) October 31, 2017
As far as the truck goes, it’s believed the suspect rented the truck from a Home Depot in New Jersey. Also found at the scene was a pellet and paintball gun.
Update: According to various reports, the suspect has been identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov.
JUST IN: Suspect in deadly NYC terror attack identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, of Tampa, Florida, CBS News confirms
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 31, 2017
#UPDATE: Photo obtained of suspect in NYC truck attack, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov. https://t.co/RRbQkI7yt1 (CBS News) pic.twitter.com/D6RrLqtkw0
— CBSDFW (@CBSDFW) October 31, 2017
Update: Also found at the scene was a note left by the terror suspect stating that the attack was done in the name of ISIS. Also aside from his known residence in Tampa, it’s also believed he was spending some time in Patterson, New Jersey.
We’ll have more information as it becomes available.