New York 'attack': Suspect held by police in Lower Manhattan

A suspect has been arrested in New York after people were reportedly shot at and mown down by the driver of a vehicle.

Police said they had made the arrest after responding to reports of shooting near the West Side Highway in Lower Manhattan.

They urged people to avoid the area as a major emergency services operation got under way.

Witnesses say a man drove at cyclists in a cycling lane before opening fire.

At least five people were hurt, news channel PIX 11 reported.

One eyewitness, identified as "Eugene," told ABC Channel 7 that he saw a white pick-up truck driving fast down the cycling lane alongside the West Side Highway, near Stuyvesant High School, at full speed and hitting several people.

He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots. More at link.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41825577

7 dead after truck plows into people in New York City in possible terror attack.

At least seven people are dead and others injured after a truck driver made a "purposeful turn" onto a jogging and biking path in lower Manhattan in New York City, police said. The sprawling crime scene runs about 10 blocks along the West Side Highway, a few blocks away from One World Trade Center. More at link.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/york-city-officers-responding-reports-shots-fired-lower/story?id=50842052

Latest update at just before 23.00, at least 8 dead and 12 injured. Arrested man is 29 years old. It appears to be a terrorist attack. LL

New York attack: five Argentinian friends named among eight killed – latest updates.

Belgian woman also among dead in act of terror that also injured 11
Suspect is Sayfullo Saipov, according to reports
Full report: several killed after vehicle drives on to bike path in New York
What we know so far about the attack
More at link.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/oct/31/new-york-vehicle-manhattan-bike-path-attack-fears-live-updates
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Five Argentines among 8 dead in New York City terror attack.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/10/31/nypd-says-one-person-in-custody-after-reported-incident-in-manhattan/?utm_term=.fc6a2cf17f5d

At least this one is still alive. I want to see them banged up for Life. They won't like that. And I don't care how much it costs. The dead ones only produce matyrs. And they all want to die for Allah while they are talking about it.

Feds: Truck attack suspect said 'he felt good about' rampage.

NEW YORK (AP) — The suspect in a deadly truck rampage was inspired by the Islamic State group's online videos and plotted his New York City attack for two months, renting a truck ahead of time to practice turning it, federal authorities said in a criminal complaint bringing terrorism charges against the Uzbek immigrant.

Sayfullo Saipov chose the attack date to target Halloween crowds, according to the criminal complaint. And after his trail of terror was halted by a police bullet, he asked to display the Islamic State group's flag in his hospital room, saying "he felt good about what he had done," authorities said.

Brought to court in a wheelchair, Saipov was held without bail on charges that could bring the death penalty. Separately, the FBI was questioning people who might have information about his actions before the attack, including a second Uzbek man.

The charges against Saipov, 29, came just a day after the attack near the World Trade Center killed eight people. Investigators in multiple states raced to retrace Saipov's steps and understand his motivations, which they said were illuminated by a note he left by the truck: "Islamic Supplication. It will endure." The phrase "it will endure" commonly refers to the Islamic State group, and Saipov had a cellphone loaded with the group's propaganda, an FBI agent said in the criminal complaint.

Handcuffed and with his legs shackled, Saipov nodded his head as he was read his rights in a brief court proceeding that he followed through a Russian interpreter. Outside court, his appointed lawyer, David Patton, said he hoped "everyone lets the judicial process play out."

"I promise you that how we treat Mr. Saipov in this judicial process will say a lot more about us than it will say about him," Patton said. The FBI released a poster saying it was looking for one of Saipov's associates, Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, only to announce less than 90 minutes later that it had found him. A law enforcement official said Kadirov was a friend of Saipov's and may not have any role in the case. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

A married father of three and former commercial truck and ride-hailing driver, Saipov began planning an attack a year ago and settled on a truck assault a couple of months ago, according to the criminal complaint.

During the last few weeks, Saipov searched the internet for information on Halloween in New York City and rented a truck to practice turns. He chose a route along a lower Manhattan highway and initially hoped to continue to hit more pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge, the complaint said.

Ultimately, Saipov sped down a bike path on a riverfront esplanade in a rented truck for nearly a mile Tuesday, running down cyclists and pedestrians, before crashing into a school bus, authorities said. He was shot after he jumped out of the vehicle brandishing two air guns and yelling "God is great!" in Arabic, they said. Knives were found in a bag he was carrying.

In the past few years, the Islamic State group has exhorted followers online to use vehicles, knives or other close-at-hand means of killing people in their home countries. England, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks since mid-2016.

Saipov's court appearance came just hours after President Donald Trump said he would consider sending Saipov to the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba — an idea the White House reinforced by saying it considered Saipov to be an "enemy combatant." Detainees at Guantanamo accused of supporting militants have faced military tribunals, rather than trials in the U.S. legal system.

By afternoon, though, Saipov was in federal court facing charges that include providing material support to a terrorist group. Trump's administration could, at least in theory, still send the suspect to the U.S. base in Cuba later, though such a step would be unprecedented.

Late Wednesday night, the president took to Twitter to say that Saipov should get the death penalty. Trump also has called for eliminating the 1990s visa lottery program that Saipov used to come to the U.S. in 2010.

John Miller, deputy New York police commissioner for counterterrorism, said Saipov had never been the subject of a criminal investigation by the FBI or New York police, but appears to have links to people who have been investigated. He wouldn't elaborate.

The attack killed five people from Argentina, one from Belgium and two Americans, authorities said. Twelve people were injured. City leaders vowed New York would not be intimidated and said Sunday's New York City Marathon would go on as scheduled, with increased security.