President Donald Trump tweeted that an attack in lower Manhattan seemed to be committed by a “sick and deranged person.”
His tweet came shortly after a motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people on Tuesday, leaving at least eight people dead and a dozen injured.
Trump named ISIS in a later tweet.
Nearly a half hour after that tweet, Trump expressed his condolences for the victims and their families.
First lady Melania Trump tweeted, “My heart breaks for #NYC today. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.”
@FLOTUS: My heart breaks for #NYC today. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.
Police said that the suspect emerged from the vehicle screaming and firing an imitation gun. New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill said police shot the suspect, who has been transported to the hospital.
NBC News reports the suspect’s name is Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, age 29, an Uzbek national who entered the U.S. in 2010.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there’s no evidence to suggest there’s a wider threat or plot. He said people will still see more security forces out of caution.
— CNBC’s Angelica Lavito contributed to this report.
