Terror strikes as New York revels in Hallowe’en
Ben Riley-smith, Barney Henderson Nick Allen FAMILIES in downtown Manhattan were preparing for Hallowe’en parties yesterday afternoon, when the city was struck by its worst terror attack since September 11, 2001.
The deadly vehicle assault by a suspected Islamist extremist took place just blocks away from the 9/11 memorial and in the shadow of the defiant, new One World Trade Center building.
The city had been gearing up for its famous Hallowe’en parade and celebrations, with children dressed in costumes and grasping punnets of candy heading out to parties or a night of trick-or-treating.
But a 29-year-old man named as Sayfullo Saipov, thought to be from Tampa, Florida, driving a white Home Depot truck, was to end all of that in an act of carnage that has left the city grieving once again.
The attack begun shortly after 3pm when the truck mounted a bike path that runs down along the western edge of Manhattan, along the Hudson River, at Houston Street.
It headed south, smashing into pedestrians and cyclists as it picked up speed and leaving bodies crumpled in its wake.
Those who spotted the vehicle had little doubt the intention was terror, unable to think of another explanation for what they were seeing. “I was just going to watch a baseball game,” said Eugene Duffy, a 43-year-old witness.
“I saw a truck and he was clearly in the bike lane at three in the afternoon.
“Then I saw two gentlemen lying on the path with tyre marks on their bodies. They were not moving.
“He was going really fast and they didn’t know what hit them.”
Jamal Lewis, a 17-year-old student who witnessed the attack told The Daily Telegraph: “I was walking down West street and heard a loud noise behind me. I saw the white pickup truck run over two cyclists and carry on. People were around their bodies, but they were dead. There was no screaming, people were in shock.”
The attacker continued all the way until Chambers Street – a distance of around 20 blocks – before heading back to the road. The truck smashed into a yellow school bus, injuring children and adults and leaving sizeable dents in both vehicles.
The crash happened just a few blocks from the World Trade Center memorial.
The attacker was left injured but not incapacitated. Stumbling from the car, he pulled out what appeared to be two firearms, which were later confirmed to be paintball and pellet guns. “Allahu akbar”, he began to shout – “God is great” in Arabic – as passersby screamed and ran in all directions.
James O’neill, the city’s police chief, confirmed that the suspect made a statement that suggested terrorism as a motive when he exited the vehicle.
“If you just look at the MO of the attack, that’s consistent with what’s been going on. So that along with the state- ment has enabled us to label this a terrorist event,” he said.
One witness said the driver looked “confused” and appeared to be injured in a “pretty bad” way. Others said he was limping.
“A whole load of people came running past my way saying ‘he’s got a gun, he’s got a gun’,” the witness added.
By coincidence, a New York police officer stationed close by heard the commotion and was able to intervene rapidly.
Witnesses recall hearing between five and 10 shots. The NYPD later confirmed the attacker had been shot in the abdomen and taken to hospital.
The officer was praised by Bill de Blasio, the New York mayor, while other officers said it was that quick thinking that had prevented more “carnage”.
Soon half a dozen ambulances and a dozen fire truck had rushed to the area and police cordoned off the road. Two police helicopters buzzed overhead.
While details were preliminary and the investigation still under way, the mayor said the suspect appeared to have been a lone wolf and not part of a wider plot.
The city’s main Village Hallowe’en Parade went ahead as planned last night – but with an extremely heavy police presence.
New Yorkers refused to be cowed by the attack.
“You can’t let the terrorists win,” said Sam Rosenthal, who was on his way to a Hallowe’en party. “I think New York is like London. After something like this, you have to get on and live your life without fear. Otherwise they win.”
‘I saw two gentlemen lying on the path with tyre marks on their bodies. They were not moving’