Eight people dead, 11 injured in 'terror attack' Suspected identified as Uzbek national Sayfullo Saipov Trump brands attacker as 'very sick and deranged' Eight people died and 11 injured in the worst terror attack on New York since September 11, 2001 as a lone wolf extremist screaming “Allahu Akbar” used a pick-up truck to mow down cyclists along a bike path on Halloween. The attacker struck just a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center memorial, running over afternoon riders on the path before reaching a road and ploughing into a school bus. He then jumped out of the truck wielding what turned out to be a pellet gun, and a paintball gun. He was chased and shot in the stomach by a police officer but survived and was arrested. The suspect has been identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, who arrived in the US in 2010. He has a Florida driver's license but was reportedly living in Paterson, New Jersey, with family, sources told local media. US media, citing police sources, said that Saipov left a note in the truck claiming he committed the attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Sayfullo Saipov Credit: @NYScanner/Twitter President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter: “Looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!” Mr Trump blamed the attack on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant which has encouraged its followers to use vehicles to mow people down. The UK, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in the recent past. The US president added: “We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!” A White House official said Mr Trump had been fully briefed by his chief of staff John Kelly and was being “continually updated”. Prime Minister Theresa May said she was “appalled by this cowardly attack, my thoughts are with all affected. Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism”. New York terror attack, in pictures 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 eye witness to the incident. “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 carried on. People were around their bodies, but they were dead. There was no screaming, people were in shock.” A picture allegedly showing the suspected attacker Credit: @GGGLee089 The attacker continued all the way until Chambers Street – a distance of round 20 blocks – before heading back to the road. The truck smashed into a yellow school bus, injuring children and adults and leaving sizable dents in both vehicles. The crash happened just a few blocks from World Trade Center memorial. The attacker was left injured but not incapacitated. Stumbling from the car, he pulled out what appeared to be two guns – but were later confirmed to be a paintball and pellet gun. “Allahu Akbar”, he begun 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 M.O. of the attack, that's consistent with what's been going on. So that along with the statement 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. A woman is aided by first responders after sustaining injury on a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York Credit: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Witnesses recall hearing between five and ten 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 underway, the mayor said the suspect appeared to have been a lone wolf and not part of a wider plot. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people on Tuesday police and witnesses said Credit: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews In the aftermath of the attack, shocked office workers stood at police cordons with children and parents on their way to Halloween parties. One children's' party at a small park near the scene of the attack had to be cancelled as the area was secured by police. Dozens of children in fancy dress, many crying, were led away. One of the mothers, Michelle Williams, said: “My kids are in complete shock. They don't understand what's happening. They have been looking forward to tonight for weeks – it's supposed to be the most fun night of the year. I don't know what I'm going to tell them. How do you explain this?” The city's main Village Halloween 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 Halloween 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.” 12:15AM Three Belgians injured in the attack Didier Reynders, Belgium's deputy prime minister, says three Belgians were also injured in the attack and are in the operating room. Trois belges ont également été blessés à #Manhattan et sont en salle d’opération. Notre consulat général va leur apporter son aide. ��������— didier reynders (@dreynders) November 1, 2017 11:58PM Photo of the suspect The suspect in the terror attack has been identified by US media as Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old Uzbek national who lives in Florida. Sayfullo Saipov Credit: @NYScanner/Twitter 11:48PM 'Argentinians' among the victims Argentina's Foreign Ministry confirms 'Argentine citizens died' in the New York bike path attack. It doesn't say how many. 11:42PM A timeline of ramming attacks The attack was the latest involving a vehicle being used to mow down a crowd of people. Terror timeline – Ramming attacks involving vehicles 11:33PM Trump issues statement Having responded first on Twitter, Mr Trump has issued a statement on the attack. 11:15PM One of the victims was Belgian Didier Reynders, the deputy prime minister of Belgium, has announced that one of the victims in tonight's terror attack was from Belgium. I am deeply saddened to announce a belgian victim in #Manhattan – I express my condolences to the family and friends ��������— didier reynders (@dreynders) October 31, 2017 11:13PM Donald Trump: Attack carried out by sick and 'deranged person' The US president has given his first reaction to the attack on Twitter. 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.!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017 We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017 My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017 9:43PM Attacker was carrying paintball gun More details have emerged about the attacker from the NYPD press conference. The attacker is a 29-year-old man. He has not been named by police. He drove onto a bike path at Houston Street and drove south until Chambers Street – around 20 blocks – hitting pedestrians and cyclists. The driver then smashed into a school bus, injuring adults and children. He then emerged holding a a paintball gun and pellet gun. He was shot in the abodemen by a police offer and is now in hospital. 9:36PM New York Mayor condemns 'cowardly act' Bill de Blasio, the New York Mayor, has condemned the attack at the NYPD press conference. He called it a “very painful day in our city” and a “horrible tragedy”. “This was a cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives,” Mr Blasio said. He praised the spirit of the city, saying: “New Yorkers do not give in in the face of these kind of actions.” 9:29PM New York Police Department press conference taking place Eight confirmed dead, more than a dozen are injured. The incident has been described as a “tragedy of the greatest magnitude”. A single officer who was near the incident when it happened is being praised for stopping the “carnage”. 9:16PM Eyewitness: 'There was no screaming, people were in shock' Jamal Lewis, a 17-year-old student who witnessed the attack told the 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 carried on. People were around their bodies, but they were dead. There was no screaming, people were in shock.” 9:11PM Here is a map showing where the incident took place The point marked is roughly where the white Home Depot truck crashed. It is close to the World Trade Center memorial. There are reports that the truck had driven up to 20 blocks along a bike path before reaching this point, heading south. Where the incident occurred 9:05PM Driver shouted 'Allahu Akbar', according to claims The phrase, which means 'God is Great' in Arabic, was said by the suspected attacker during the incident, it has been claimed. The reports are said to be the reason that the FBI and NYPD are now treating the incident as a terror attack. 8:49PM Incident being treated as a terror attack Reuters has this: The striking of pedestrians by a vehicle in lower Manhattan on Tuesday was being treated as a terrorist attack, two U.S. government sources said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the New York City police department in investigating the incident, the sources said. 8:45PM Witness accounts are beginning to come in A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers Street said he saw several bleeding people on the ground after a truck struck several people. Another witness said the truck had also collided with a small bus and one other vehicle. Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people saying there was an accident. He went down to West Street and a woman came around the corner shouting, “He has a gun! He has a gun!” Gay told Associated Press that he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him. He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand. Uber driver Chen Yi said he saw a truck plow into people on a popular bike path adjacent to the West Side Highway. He said he then heard seven to eight shots and then police pointing a gun at a man kneeling on the pavement. “I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground,” Yi said. His passenger, Dmitry Metlitsky, said he also saw police standing near a man who was on his knees with his hands up, and another man bleeding on the ground nearby. He said the truck had also collided with a small school bus and one other vehicle. 8:42PM New York Police Department statement The New York Police Department’s official Twitter account gave a “preliminary” account of what happened on Tuesday afternoon. “Earlier a vehicle entered the West St. pedestrian/bike path a few blocks north of Chambers St,” it read. “The vehicle struck multiple people on the path. There are several fatalities and numerous people injured. “The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD. “The suspect is in custody. This is preliminary, more information to follow.”
