2017 Lower Manhattan Attack

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Overview

The 2017 Lower Manhattan Attack was a vehicular attack in which eight people were killed and an additional 11 were injured on a bicycle in lower Manhattan, New York City in late October 2017.

Background

At approximately 3:04 p.m. (EST) on October 31st, 2017, a pickup truck rented from a Home Depot in Passaic, New Jersey rammed into pedestrians traveling along the Hudson River Park's bike path at West Street, killing eight people and injuring 11. After crashing into a school bus transporting children with special needs, the attacker reportedly ran while brandishing a paintball gun and pellet gun while shouting "Allahu Akbar" before being shot in the stomach by New York Police Officer Ryan Nash.

Developments

Suspect Identified

Following the attack, police identified the suspect as 29-year-old Satfullo Habibullaevich Saipov from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, who entered the United States under a Diversity Immigrant Visa in 2010. Additionally, authorities discovered an ISIS flag and note professing allegiance to the terrorist group in the truck used in the attack. According to prosecutors, Saipov requested to have an ISIS flag displayed in his hospital room and that "he felt good about what he had done."^[4]

Online Reaction

That day, Redditor ffrosteh submitted a post about the attack to /r/news,^[1] where it received upwards of 42,700 votes (84% upvoted) and 15,300 comments within 24 hours. Meanwhile, Twitter user @KolHaolam posted video of the aftermath of the attack (shown below).

MANHATTAN: BREAKING: Car runs over people in the bike lane on West Side Highway, some seriously injured. Driver reportedly arrested. VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/wYD5F9Mr0Q
— KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) October 31, 2017

On 4chan and Reddit, some users began sarcastically referring to the truck used in the attack as a "truck of peace". Also on October 31st, the You Tube YouTube channel posted footage of the aftermath and the attacker (shown below).

Donald Trump's Response

Also on October 31st, United States President Donald Trump posted several tweets condemning the attack and personally attacked Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer for sponsoring the diversity visa lottery program that Saipov entered the country with. The following day, Trump revealed he would begin the "terminating the diversity lottery program" (shown below).