8 die in terror attack on New York bike path

A man driving a rented pickup truck barreled down a popular New York City bike path on Tuesday afternoon, killing eight people and injuring more than a dozen others in what authorities said was a terrorist attack.

Of the eight people slain, six were pronounced dead at the scene and two others at a nearby hospital, New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill told a news conference.

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said 11 survivors with serious injuries were taken to hospitals.

After crashing into a small school bus, the suspect emerged from his truck waving a paintball gun in one hand and a pellet gun in the other. He was shot in the stomach by an NYPD officer and taken to Bellevue Hospital.

Two children and two adults on the school bus were injured.

Asked about reports that the driver shouted “Allahu Akbar” — which is Arabic for “God is great” — O’Neill said that a statement made by the suspect when he exited his truck, along with the circumstances, led investigators to label the incident a “terrorist event”.

Two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity identified the attacker as Sayfullo Saipov, 29.

According to abc7news.com, Saipov entered the US seven years ago from Uzbekistan under the Diversity Visa Program, a lottery for people from countries with few immigrants to the United States.

The website said that in addition to an address in Tampa, Florida, Saipov lived in Ohio and most recently, in Paterson, New Jersey. Reports said the truck was rented from the Home Depot in Passaic, New Jersey.

At around 3:05 pm, the suspect drove along the bike path — which runs parallel to the West Side Highway on the West Side of Manhattan along the Hudson River — for about 14 blocks before slamming into the school bus. The pavement was strewn with mangled bicycles and bodies.

“I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground,” said Chen Yi, an Uber driver.

US President Donald Trump, in a series of tweets, wrote: “My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you! … We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough! … In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!”

Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack a “cowardly act of terrorism”.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the suspect appeared to have acted alone.

Later on CNN, Cuomo said, “Tonight we’re at a Halloween parade to say you didn’t win and you didn’t affect us and we’re out and celebrating and we’re doing what New Yorkers do.”

Similar attacks in Europe last year killed dozens.

BRENDAN MC DERMID / REUTERS A woman is aided by FDNY members after she was injured at the site where a driver ran down bicyclists in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday.

ANDREW KELLY / REUTERS Police examine a rented truck used by a driver who fatally ran over eight people on a bicycle path on the West Side of Manhattan on Tuesday.

ZHOU PAI / CHINA DAILY The Halloween parade goes on in Greenwich Village with increased police presence after earlier bike-path attack.