A man driving a rented Home Depot truck has killed 8 people and injured dozens of others, leaving a wake of mangled bodies, bicycles and debris. The man was shot by police but not killed and is recovering in a nearby hospital. A note on the truck window said he was doing this for ISIS.
The man has been identified as a 29-year-old male, identified by the press as Sayfullo Saipov. Saipov is a green card holder who came to the U.S. from Uzbekistan in 2010.
Saipov drove approximately 14 blocks down a crowded bicycle path near Stuyvesant High School along Manhattan’s West Street and Chambers Street. After crashing into a school bus he exited the truck carrying a pellet gun and a paintball gun. He was shot in the abdomen and taken into custody by New York Police. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation.
“This was an act of terror, a particularly cowardly act of terror, aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them,” said New York Mayor Bill deBlasio. “Based on information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians.”
Donald Trump tweeted “looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!” and “My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!”
Witnesses said Saipov repeatedly yelled “allahu akbar” when he exited the vehicle, an Islamic phrase that translates to “God is great.”
Apparently Saipov has been on the FBI’s radar, however no details have been released as to why. This attack is the worst in New York city when over 2600 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
The victims were reported to be a Belgien citizen and five Argentine citizens. The injured include teachers and student from the bus, one student still in critical condition.
Author’s note: It is very difficult to prevent terrorist attacks in a free society. Unfortunately, some of the results of terrorist attacks are that we become less free, for example with the Patriot Act that allows intelligence services to spy on American citizens. This means that in some respects, the terrorists are winning.