Eleanor Service | Reporter
In the five days since the horrifying terror attack in New York City on October 31st, many more details about the event have come to light.
In the wake of the tragedy, eight people have been confirmed dead and nearly a dozen have been confirmed injured. Many of the people killed in this attack were actually tourists, five of whom were Argentinian men, who were in New York to reunite with one another as old friends.
After the confirmed death toll, this has been revealed as the deadliest terror attack in New York City, since 9/11.
The suspect drove a van rented from Home Depot onto the West Street pedestrian bike path at high speeds, striking multiple people. The truck then continued down the road, where it then struck a school bus.
After the collision with the school bus, the suspect exited the vehicle wielding what it has now been confirmed were not real firearms but a paintball gun and a pellet gun.
He then proceeded to run out into traffic, before a confrontation with Officer Ryan Nash ended with the suspect being shot in the abdomen and taken to hospital in police custody.
One officer reported that:
“He jumped out of the truck with a pellet gun, yelled, ‘Allahu Akbar,’ and the First Precinct lit him up.”
At this point in the investigation, Authorities have found an ISIS flag and notes in Arabic pledging allegiance to ISIS in and around the truck. Three officials have also said that the suspect was actually on the FBI’s radar, but the reasons for this were unrelated to this incident.
It has also been confirmed that he legally immigrated to the US in 2010 from Uzbekistan, and earlier this year he settled in New Jersey with his wife and three kids. His wife has since denied any knowledge that he was planning this attack, but it has become apparent that he has been planning this for weeks.
John Miller, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counter-terrorism of the NYPD, confirms these details of the investigation’s findings in a press conference. The suspect’s name has been censored so as to not award him the attention he wants for such a despicable act:
“It appears that Mr ****, had been planning this for a number of weeks. He did this in the name of ISIS, and along with the other items recovered at the scene was some notes that further indicate that.”
It has been revealed that the suspect claims he is proud of what he has done, and even requested to hang an ISIS flag in his hospital room.
In the wake of this tragedy, New York has remained defiant, refusing to allow this attack to break its spirit. The worry for many though is that this isn’t just the mark of a strong city, but a sign that terror is becoming the new normal.
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