NEW YORK, 1 November (BelTA - Xinhua) - Eight people were killed and a dozen more injured after a truck plowed into pedestrians near the World Trade Center in New York City, the mayor said on Tuesday.
Based on the information authorities had at the moment, the incident was "a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference.
Speaking at the conference alongside with the mayor, New York City Police Commissioner James O' Neil said the suspect was a 29-year-old man who was not from New York.
At 3:05 p.m., a male driving a rented Home Depot pickup truck entered the West Side Highway bicycle path at Houston Street, according to O' Neil. He said the man began driving southbound, striking a number of pedestrians and bicyclists along the route.
At Chambers Street, the truck collided with a school bus, injuring two adults and two children, according to the police.
After the collision, the driver exited the vehicle, holding up a paintball gun and a pellet gun. He was shot in the stomach by a police officer but survived and arrested. He was then sent to a hospital.
Reports said that the driver shouted "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is great" in Arabic.
Local media reported that law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity identified the driver as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov.
He has a Florida driver's license and may have lived in the city of Tampa. He rented the vehicle in New Jersey, said media.
Reports said the man might come to the United States in 2010 from Uzbekistan.
Local media 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.
The police declined to confirm the above information and gave no further details on his background as the investigation is underway to find out his motive for the attack.
The attack occurred hours before an annual Halloween parade was to take place in lower Manhattan, which would be packed with thousands of people in costumes and masks.
Authorities said more police officers and resources were invested in iconic places in the city as a precaution, particularly along the route of the Halloween Parade.
