BREAKING: Several people killed after truck plows into cyclists in New York
A man has been shot and taken into custody in New York after driving his Home Depot rental truck onto a busy bike path and firing at a crowd. At least six people have been killed and 15 more have been injured.
The incident occurred on the West Side Highway in Lower Manhattan, nearby Stuyvesant High School and the site of the World Trade Center. It comes just hours before New York’s annual Halloween parade, which attracts thousands to the area.
“What happened was there was a car crash… he came out of one of the cars. He had two guns. He was running around Chambers [Street] and somebody started to chase him,” 14-year-old Stuyvesant student Laith Bahlouli told reporters. “I heard four to six gunshots – everybody starts running.”
US police have described the incident as a terror attack, with reports suggesting the FBI has taken over the investigation.
UPDATE: The death toll has risen to eight, according to a statement from Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"This was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea about what was about to hit them. We know of eight innocent people who have lost their lives and over a dozen more injured.
"We know that this action was intended to break our spirit, but we also know New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence."
The suspect allegedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great" in Arabic) during the incident.
More to come.