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De Blasio Declares Deadly West Side Highway Attack 'Act Of Terror'
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Oct 31, 2017
Modified Nov 1, 2017
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Oct 31, 2017
Modified Nov 1, 2017
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At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed that officials are currently investigating today's deadly incident on the West Side Highway as a terrorist attack. "Based on information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror," de Blasio told reporters. "A particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians." Officials say eight people are confirmed dead and eleven others are injured, though all of the wounded are expected to survive.
According to Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill, at around 3:05 p.m., an unnamed 29-year-old man drove a rented Home Depot pickup truck onto the West Side Highway bike path at Houston Street, striking pedestrians and cyclists. The suspect then turned the truck southbound and drove it until he collided with a school bus at Chambers Street.
O'Neill said that as the suspect exited the truck he displayed what looked like two handguns—cops later determined the weapons were a pellet gun and a paintball gun—and was shot by an officer with the 1st Precinct. The suspect was transported to an area hospital; O'Neill declined to confirm the identity of the suspect or which hospital he is being held at, but he is expected to live.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro confirmed that six people—all male—were confirmed dead at the scene. Two others died at area hospitals, he said, and eleven have serious, but non life-threatening injuries. "There may be more injuries as people self- evacuated," Nigro said, noting that the FDNY "will determine that later."
O'Neill said the suspect's actions, particularly his use of a truck as a weapon, were consistent with recent terrorist attacks, which is primarily why the NYPD is investigating the incident as terrorism. Though there were reports that the suspect shouted, "Allahu Akbar," which is Arabic for "God is great," when he exited the truck, O'Neill would only confirm the suspect did in fact make a statement, but declined to say what it was.
The officials also declined to say whether there was any intelligence leading up to the incident, from what location the suspect rented the vehicle, where he was from, or how fast he traveled down the bike path.
De Blasio and Cuomo confirmed that the NYPD would add more security in the city tonight and in the coming days, but noted there was no further threat detected at this time. "The new terrorist tactic, which they've called for publicly, are these lone wolves who commit these acts of terror," Cuomo said, adding that there was no evidence of a "wider scheme." This was "one individual who meant to cause pain and harm and probably death and the resulting terror. That was the purpose," he said.
Tonight's Halloween parade in Greenwich Village will go on as planned, officials said, though there will be additional security deployed. "I want to ask all New Yorkers to be vigilant. We know it's Halloween night and in the days ahead people will be uneasy," the mayor said.
Additional reporting by Emma Whitford.
Tagged
governor cuomo
mayor de blasio
nypd
terrorism
west side highway
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Rebecca Fishbein
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