- 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov of Tampa, Florida, has been identified as the suspect in the deadly terror attack in Manhattan, New York on Tuesday.
- The attack left at least eight people dead and injured more than a dozen.
- Saipov is reportedly an Uzbek national who came to the US in 2010. He reportedly left a note claiming he carried out the attack in the name of ISIS.
Police have identified the suspect in the deadly terror attack in lower Manhattan that left at least eight people dead as 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov of Tampa, Florida, multiple news outlets reported Tuesday. The suspect left a note in his truck claiming he carried out the attack in the name of the Islamic State, CNN and NBC reported.
Saipov, an Uzbek national, was reported to have legally resided in the US starting in 2010 and worked as a commercial truck driver, according to NBC News. Preliminary reports suggested Saipov does not have an extensive criminal record, but he was reportedly stopped by police on multiple occasions in the past for traffic violations.
In addition to his address in Tampa, Saipov listed a New Jersey address, according to court records.
Multiple reports, citing state records, also indicate Saipov had registered two automotive-related businesses in Ohio between 2011 and 2013, one of them being a trucking company that has one truck and one driver.
Police and government officials have not yet publicly identified the suspect. But local and federal officials said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon that the suspect deliberately mowed down cyclists and pedestrians in a rented Home Depot pickup truck, killing eight and injuring 12. Police said the suspect drove 10 blocks in the wrong direction before striking a school bus.
CNN reported, according to a person familiar with the ongoing investigation, Saipov rented the truck in New Jersey on Tuesday.
He then exited the vehicle, brandished a paintball gun and pellet gun, and was subsequently shot in the abdomen by a police officer, according to New York Police Department commissioner James O'Neill.
"This is a tragedy of the greatest magnitude," O'Neill said.
"This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference, "aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them."
Multiple news agencies reported that Saipov shouted "Allahu Akbar," which translates to "God is great" in Arabic, as he exited the rented truck.
"Yeah, he did make a statement when he exited the vehicle. And if you just look at the M-O of the attack – that’s consistent with what’s been going on. So, that, along with the statement that’s enabled us to label this a terrorist event," O'Neill said.
Following news of the incident, President Donald Trump called the suspect a "very sick and deranged person" and appeared to suggest attribution to the Islamic State.
"We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere," Trump tweeted. "Enough!
Saipov was out of surgery from an undisclosed hospital, sources said to CNN late Tuesday.
