Eight people are dead and about a dozen injured after the
driver of a truck drove the wrong way down a well-trafficked bike path, New
York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
"This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly
act of terror," he said.
The driver of a rental truck drove the wrong way down a busy
bicycle path in Manhattan near the World Trade Center, killing up to six people
and striking numerous others, a New York Police official said.
The driver then exited the vehicle while displaying
imitation firearms and was shot by police, according to the NYPD. The suspect
is in police custody and was taken to a hospital for treatment, sources at the
NYPD said.
The incident is being investigated as terrorism, according
to multiple law enforcement sources.
Witnesses reported the suspect was yelling
"Allahu Akbar," according to four law enforcement sources. The FBI's
Joint Terrorism Task Force is taking over the lead of the investigation.
The suspect, driving in a Home Depot rental truck, hopped a
curb at West Houston Street and drove south on the bike path on the west side
of West Side Highway in Lower Manhattan for several blocks, the official said.
After striking multiple people, the suspect hit a school bus
and wrecked his truck, an NYPD official said. Four people were removed from the
bus and they had minor injuries, the official said.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo both said they are heading to the scene.
The White House said President Trump was briefed by chief of staff John Kelly on the incident in lower Manhattan and "will be continually updated as more details are known."
Press secretary Sarah Sanders said, "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected."
Vehicles have been used as weapons in a number of terrorist
attacks in recent years, including in deadly incidents in Nice, France, and
London.
May the dead rest in peace.
Source: CNN
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