People of New York were victims of the latest violent act in a nation still reeling from other tragedies.
On Tuesday, October 31, a man used a rented truck to mow down more than a dozen people on a bike path in New York City, near the World Trade Center. The man wielded imitation firearms after getting out of his vehicle, which was stopped when he crashed it into a school bus. He was soon shot in the abdomen by a police officer.
Eight were killed in the attack, and the injured numbered close to a dozen. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to the situation, saying, “This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror, aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them.”
The suspect has been identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, an Uzbekistan native who has been living in the United States for seven years on a diversity immigrant visa. A document found near the truck used in the attack claimed the attack was made in the name of the Islamic State. Authorities also found many ISIS propaganda images on the suspect’s phone. Governor Andrew Cuomo says that evidence found in the ongoing investigation shows that Saipov was “radicalized domestically” in the United States.
Saipov has since been charged with numerous federal offenses, including providing material support to ISIS, violence and destruction of motor vehicles. A day after the attack, President Trump tweeted out his thoughts on the punishment Saipov should receive. “NYC terrorist was happy as he asked to hang ISIS flag in his hospital room. He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!” His comments received mixed reactions.
The number of mass casualty attacks occurring in the United States has increased to terribly high numbers, and this vehicle attack on innocent civilians is yet another violent act that has rocked our nation.
