Many dead after Manhattan terror attack — Truck plows through people

NEW YORK — A man in a rented truck drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial Tuesday, killing at least eight people and injuring about 11, police said. The driver was then shot by police after jumping out with what turned out to be two fake guns.

CLICK FOR UPDATE: Officials say suspect lived and rented truck in NJ

A police official said the attack was being investigated as a possible act of terrorism. The official was not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mayor Bill DeBlasio called it "a particularly cowardly act of terror." He called on the city's residents to "be vigilant."

The New York Post, citing unnamed sources, said the driver shouted “Allahu Akbar" — Arabic for "God is great."

New York has not had a fatal terrorist attack since 9/11.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday said the attack appears to not be part of any wider plot.

Last year, an Elizabeth man was charged with detonating a pressure cooker bomb in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood hours after a pipe bomb exploded before a race in Seaside Park.Ahmad Khan Rahimi was found guilty of federal terrorism charges in New York earlier this month. He still faces New Jersey criminal charges of attempted murder on Linden police officers as well as federal terrorism charges in the New Jersey district court.

On Tuesday, the attacker, identified as a 29-year-old man, was taken into custody. His condition was not immediately disclosed. ABC News identified the attacker as Sayfullo Saipov, from Tampa.

NJ.com reported that Saipov once gave police in Pennsylvania a Paterson address when he was pulled over in 2015.

Police said the vehicle, a rented Home Depot truck, entered the bike path on West Street a few blocks from the World Trade Center memorial and struck at least 15 people, leaving mangled bicycles behind. At least two bodies could be seen lying on the path beneath tarps.

A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers Street said he saw several bleeding people on the ground after the truck struck several people. Another witness said the truck had also collided with a small bus and one other vehicle.

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.

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.

His passenger, Dmitry Metlitsky, said he also saw police standing near a man who was on his knees with his hands up, and another man bleeding on the ground nearby. He said the truck had also collided with a small school bus and one other vehicle.

With hundreds lining the street Toms River's annual Halloween stepped off as usual just hours after the attack.Police Chief Mitch Little said security was already tight for the parade but extra personnel was added.

"We did put some more undercovers out, we had some help from outside agencies and we had some extra vehicles we were able to put out on the street to prevent anyone from trying to drive into the crowd," Little said.

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