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Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Terror attack in New York
Terror attack in New York
New York police say eight dead and numerous people injured
Police say suspect is 29-year-old man who is now in hospital
New York governor Andrew Cuomo: no evidence of wider plot
Cuomo says all the evidence suggests the attacker was acting alone. He says officials are still in the process of contacting family
members of those killed and injured. A lot of tourists frequent the area
targeted, he adds. Two children on the school bus rammed by the truck were injured, “but not seriously”, he adds. Reports from Belgium and Argentina say citizens of those countries are among the dead.
Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, has been talking to CNN from the streets of the city where the Halloween parade is going ahead.
This was an attack that was designed to create terror … but New Yorkers are resilient, New Yorkers go on. We learned the hard way in 9/11 that we are a target, we are the
international symbol of democracy and freedom, and we understand that.
And since 9/11 we’ve lived with this. And we’ve put together the best security force on the globe, in my opinion. Tonight we’re at a Halloween parade to say: you didn’t win and you
didn’t affect us and we’re out and we’re celebrating and doing what New
Yorkers do. We’re living our lives because we’re not going to allow
terrorists to win. Period.
Bellevue hospital (known formally as NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue)
is caring for five patients involved in the attack, a hospital
spokesperson confirmed. The hospital declined to say whether the suspect – who was shot by police – was receiving treatment there. The Guardian’s Lois Beckett, reporting from the scene, says the
hospital is on lockdown, with only patients, their visitors and staff
allowed into the building. NYPD officers are vetting everyone going
inside.
Here is the statement from Argentina’s foreign ministry confirming
that an unspecified number of “Argentine citizens died” in the attack:
Argentina reaffirms its strongest condemnation of terrorist acts and
violence in all its manifestations and reiterates the need to deepen the
fight against this scourge.”
The statement says the Argentine government “is deeply shocked” by what happened and adds that the Argentine consulate in New York is working with local officials to identify the victims.
This is Claire Phipps picking up our live coverage as news begins to
emerge about the victims of the attack that has left eight people dead
and 11 injured. A Belgian citizen was among those killed, according to the country’s deputy prime minister, Didier Reynders:
didier reynders (@dreynders)
I am deeply saddened to announce a belgian victim in #Manhattan - I express my condolences to the family and friends 🇧🇪🇺🇸
The suspect is a 29-year-old male who had a paintball gun and a pellet gun.
Police have not provided official details about the suspect’s identity, but said given his mode of attack, authorities are considering it a terrorist incident.
Donald Trump tweeted:
“We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after
defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!” He later tweeted “thoughts, condolences and prayers”.
Law enforcement officials have told reporters that as the suspect got out of the truck, he was heard yelling “Allahu Akbar”, the Arabic phrase for “God is great”.
The suspect was shot by police, but survived and was taken to a hospital.
Governor Andrew Cuomo called it a “lone wolf” attack, and authorities have said there is no ongoing threat or evidence of a wider plot.
New York officials have not released details of any possible motive, and other elected officials have not referenced Isis in their public statements.
The suspect was said to be Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbekistan national,
according to the Associated Press – which cited two law enforcement
officials speaking anonymously – and other reports. The suspect has not
yet been officially named. Saipov was said to have entered the US in 2010. He has a Florida license but may have been living in New Jersey, reports said. A woman from Cincinnati, Ohio, contacted by the Guardian, who
identified herself as Dilfuza Iskhakova, said that Saipov had stayed at
her home there for several months about six years ago, after arriving in
the US from Uzbekistan. “He seemed like a nice guy, but he didn’t talk
much,” said Iskhakova. “He only went to work and came back. He used to
work at a warehouse.” Iskhakova said Saipov had been applying for a green card when she
knew him. Ohio state records show he registered a business involving
vehicles to her home in May 2011. Iskhakova said her family lost contact
with Saipov in recent years. She said she thought he had moved from
Ohio to Florida, and then to the New York region, and that he now had a wife and two young daughters. She said she did not know if Saipov was religious. “He’s from my country,” Iskhakova said. “His father knows my husband, and sent Sayfullo here because he didn’t know anyone.”
After the his earlier tweets referencing Isis,
Donald Trump has released a more traditional statement on Twitter with
“condolences and prayers”. He also called the incident a “terrorist
attack”:
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!
New York
officials have emphasized that they do not want the attack to disrupt
normal activities in the city, and leaders have said the city’s official
Halloween parade will go on as scheduled. From a spokesman for mayor
Bill de Blasio:
Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips)
The Halloweeen Parade will go on, with NYPD dramatically increasing presence (personnel, blocker trucks, long guns etc).
At an earlier press conference, de Blasio said: “People should go
about their business knowing that the NYPD is out in force with our
partner agencies tonight and throughout the week. The bottom line is we
are going to go about our business. We are not going to be deterred.” Here is more from the authorities about ongoing parade plans and security measures:
While president Donald Trump has tweeted about Isis, other elected
officials have offered more generic responses to the attack, which is
still in the early stages of the investigation. Senate minority leader
Chuck Schumer of New York issued a statement after being briefed by the FBI about the attack:
First and foremost our thoughts are with the victims and their
families. As one of thousands of New Yorkers who regularly rides on the
path where this attack took place, I’m particularly grateful to the NYPD
and first responders who work day in and day out to keep us safe, and
to those that responded to the scene today. As the investigation unfolds, it’s critical that we learn what we can
from this incident and do everything we can to prevent this from
happening again. The scourge of terrorism is unfortunately still with
us, and we must remain vigilant as ever.”
Speaker Paul Ryan also tweeted words of support to first responders:
Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan)
Our hearts are with the victims of this apparent act of terror in New York City. Thank you to all the first responders.
Here are some additional eyewitness accounts, from the Associated Press:
Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people
saying there was an accident. He went down to West Street and a woman
came around the corner shouting, “He has a gun! He has a gun!” Gay said he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in
a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He
said there was a heavyset man pursuing him. He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell
to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and
kicked the gun out of his hand. Eugene Duffy, 43, a chef at a waterfront restaurant, said he was
crossing West Street when he heard something, turned back and saw the
white pickup on the bike path. After seeing the mangled bikes, he ran south, seeing the school bus
that appeared to have been T-boned, and officers at the scene, guns
drawn, ducked behind patrol cars. “So many police came and they didn’t know what was happening,” Duffy
said. “People were screaming. Females were screaming at the top of their
lungs.” Uber driver Chen Yi said he saw a truck plow into people on a popular
bike path adjacent to the West Side Highway. He said he then heard
seven to eight shots and then police pointing a gun at a man kneeling on
the pavement. “I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground,” Yi said.
At an earlier press conference, police did not comment on the
identity of the 29-year-old suspect or possible motives, beyond labeling
it a “terror” attack. Authorities described it as a “lone wolf”
incident and have said there is no evidence of an ongoing threat or
wider plot. Local officials in New York have not mentioned Isis in public statements. Here’s the Department of Homeland Security’s earlier statement:
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke has been briefed on
the apparent act of terrorism that occurred this evening in New York
City. The Department is closely monitoring the situation and working
with our federal, state and local partners in responding to and
investigating this tragedy. We are referring all questions about the
investigation to the FBI and the New York Police Department. We have recently seen attacks like this one throughout the world. DHS
and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to
safeguarding the American people. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this terrible incident as we work to support the New York community.
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Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
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