Answers regarding the terrorist attack that hit lower Manhattan's west side yesterday have started to be made public. After killing eight people with a Home Depot rental truck, the suspect, Sayfullo Saipov, was shot by a New York police officer in the abdomen and is expected to survive.
Suspect's history
Saipov came to the United States in 2010 as an Uzbek national. After winning a green card lottery, the 29-year-old earned lawful permanent resident status. He has a home in Tampa, FL, but lived in Paterson, New Jersey for a short time. Saipov is married with three children.
He previously worked as a truck driver and Uber driver, and his only criminal history stems from traffic violations, according to CNN.
Attack timeline
Immediately following the attack, authorities began putting together a timeline of how and when the events took place. Saipov is thought to have rented the truck in New Jersey at approximately 2 PM and then drove across the river into Manhattan. At 3:05 PM, he traveled along West Houston Street before turning south onto the West Side Highway bike path, targeting bicyclists and pedestrians.
Saipov then deliberately smashed his truck into a school bus near Chambers Street before taking off on foot. He was carrying both a pellet gun and paint gun until he was ultimately he shot.
A note was found near the truck, indicating that Saipov orchestrated the attack for ISIS. However, ISIS doesn't claim attacks where the suspect has been captured alive and taken into custody.
What's next for New York City?
Since 9/11, no metropolitan area in the world is more prepared and diligent in the fight against terrorism than New York City.
An attack like this wasn't unexpected in the United States. There have been similar incidents in Europe, including places like Nice, France, and Barcelona, Spain. NYC authorities have spent time in the past talking to truck rental locations about being on the lookout for suspicious activity and contacting law enforcement if anything out of the ordinary occurs.
But soft targets, like a bike path, are nearly impossible to fully protect.
Following the attack yesterday, the NYC streets were filled with trick-or-treaters, People reported, and the city held it's annual Halloween parade in the Village. There was an additional police presence, and the event went off without incident. And while New Yorkers will continue to honor the victims, the city won't be held hostage by fear.
