8 people are confirmed dead and 12 injured when a man plowed his truck into pedestrians and cyclists on a Manhattan sidewalk on Tuesday. A Florida man is in custody.
The Middle Eastern man plowed a rental truck onto a busy bike path striking about 20 runners and cyclists in lower Manhattan.
The carnage ended when the truck crashed into a school bus. The crash disabled the truck. 2 children were reportedly injured in the crash.
The man exited the truck armed with a pellet fun and a paint gun and yelled “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for God is great).
While running through a parking lot, the man was shot and wounded by a NYPD officer.
The 29-year-old man, who was shot in the leg, immigrated to the U.S. from a terrorist-linked country. The man is listed at Bellevue Hospital in “grave condition.”
New York is a favored target of terrorists. Witnesses said they initially thought the carnage was a Halloween prank.
Videos from the scene shows mangled bicycles on a bike path.
Police say the crime scene runs about 20 blocks along the West Side Highway, near the One World Trade Center.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the tragedy a “cowardly act of terror” during a press conference today. “This action was intended to break our spirit,” said De Blasio.
Police say the annual Halloween parade will continue tonight as planned in lower Manhattan. A million people are expected to attend.
Please check back for more updates.
