Eight people are dead with at least 11 people injured after an individual reportedly drove a Home Depot rental truck south on a bike path in lower Manhattan late Tuesday afternoon, according to the New York City Police Department (NYPD).
According to reports from the NYPD news Twitter account, the driver, a 29-year-old man, reportedly began traveling south on a bike/pedestrian path on West Street and Houston Street around 3 p.m. EST, hitting several pedestrians and bikers as the nearby high school was letting out.
The driver reportedly then crashed into a school bus and exited the truck “holding two firearms” which were later confirmed to be a pellet gun and paintball gun recovered from the scene. A nearby officer reportedly fired a shot at the driver, “striking him in the stomach” and he was then taken into custody.
According to The New York Times, police said they are not looking for any additional suspects.
At approximately 3:05pm a 29 y/o male drove a rented Home Depot truck onto the bike/pedestrian path at West St/Houston St driving south.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 31, 2017
Shortly before 4:30 p.m. police issued an advisory via Twitter warning people to expect emergency personell and to stay clear of the area. Shortly after, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s press secretary tweeted that the mayor had been briefed and that there was “NO active threat” at the time.
In a press conference Tuesday night with NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio confirmed the eight people killed and called the incident a “cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians” while praising the work of officers and first responders on the scene.
Watch the full remarks from the press briefing regarding the truck attack in Manhattan here: https://t.co/pp8MjUVHRa
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 31, 2017
“There is no evidence to suggest a wider plot or a wider scheme, but the actions of one individual who meant to cause pain and harm and probably death and the resulting terror,” Cuomo said. “And that was the purpose. We will be vigilant, more police everywhere, you’ll see them in the airports, you’ll see them in the tunnels. It’s not because there’s any evidence of any ongoing threat or any additional threat. It is just out of vigilance and out of caution.”
Mayor de Blasio also offered up words of comfort to New Yorkers during the emotional and scary situation: “We know that this action was intended to break our spirit, but we also know New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence.”
UPDATE: ABC News reports that the suspect has been identified as Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old originally from Uzbekistan. Entering the United States in 2010 through John F. Kennedy Airport, Saipov has previously lived in Ohio and Florida, but most recently lived in Paterson, New Jersey, with his wife and three children. The truck used in the incident was rented from a nearby Home Depot. Saipov is currently being treated for his gunshot wound at Bellevue Hospital, while at least 10 of his injured victims were taken to a different Manhattan hospital. In addition to the eight fatalities, more than a dozen people were injured in the attack, with at least three victims in critical condition. As of Tuesday night, two patients have passed away.
JUST IN: Photo of NYC truck rampage suspect, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov. https://t.co/hdjRGpBTCk pic.twitter.com/SVzmPXcuWG
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) October 31, 2017
Meanwhile, Manhattan’s annual Halloween parade occurred as planned, beginning only hours after the attack. ABC News confirms that more police officers were assigned to the parade route as a result of the afternoon’s terror. Gov. Cuomo and Mayor De Blasio attended, sending a clear message that the trauma would not dampen the city’s resilient spirit.
Gov. Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio march in annual Halloween parade in the West Village, hours after deadly truck attack https://t.co/Btu10DnwcT pic.twitter.com/ZUcYoIlPDI
— ABC News (@ABC) November 1, 2017
Her Campus will continue to update this story as more develops.