A man who had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State drove a vehicle into pedestrians in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring 11 others.
The attack occurred near the new World Trade Center building and was the deadliest terrorist attack in New York City since the horrific 9/11 attacks.
According to FoxNews.com, the perpetrator, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov, who is not a U.S. citizen and is originally from Uzbekistan, was shot by police and taken into custody.
Following the attack, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted:
This was a cowardly act of terror. It was intended to break our spirit. But New Yorkers are resilient. We will be undeterred.
— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) October 31, 2017
Included in the victims of the attack were several Belgian and Argentinian citizens, as well as local teachers and students who were riding in a small school bus when Saipov rammed his Home Depot rental truck into their bus.
Police have officially called the attack an act of terrorism. President Trump also tweeted about the attack:
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
New York City officials say security measures are being increased for Sunday’s New York City Marathon. There are an estimated 50,000 runners participating in the event. Some marathon activities, however, have been cancelled following the attack.
According to the New York Daily News, New York Road Runners said in a statement, “With respect to the victims, their families, and our city agency partners, we will be postponing our ceremonial Blue Line Painting and Faces of the Marathon media events originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 1. At this point, all other race week activities will continue as planned.”
Photo: NYPD officers stand guard during the annual Halloween parade after a man driving a rental truck struck and killed eight people on a jogging and bike path in Lower Manhattan on October 31, 2017 in New York City. Officials are reporting up to 8 dead and at least 15 people have been injured.
Photo courtesy: Kena Betancur/Getty Images
Publication date: November 1, 2017
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