Smoky Mountain Journal -Terror Suspect Was Uzbekistani Immigrant With Green Car Who Came To U.S. In 2010 During Obama Administration




The Great Smoky Mountain Journal Staff, Wire Reports Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 07:20 PM

Terror Suspect Was Uzbekistani Immigrant With Green Car Who Came To U.S. In 2010 During Obama Administration
The suspect was from Uzbekistan and had a green card, a source told Fox News. According to The Associated Press, Saipov has a Florida license but may have been living in New Jersey, and came to the U.S. in 2010. Saipov, according to the New York Post, had notes inside his rental truck that were handwritten in Arabic, "along with either a flag of the [Islamic State] symbol or a smaller picture of the flag." Eyewitness records video of suspect running through traffic, brandishing what appear to be handguns.Video Video appears to show suspect in NYC attack Four of the injured were teachers and students who were riding on a short yellow school bus near Stuyvesant High School when they were hit by the suspect's Home Depot rental truck. One student remains in critical condition. A victim killed in the attack was a Belgian citizen, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of Belgium Didier Reyners tweeted on Tuesday. Three Belgians were also injured. Others killed in the attack were Argentine citizens, according to Argentina's Foreign Ministry. Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported five of the eight people killed were from Argentina. The incident was being treated as a terrorist attack. At a news conference Tuesday evening, Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack "an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians." Bill de Blasio ✔@NYCMayor This was a cowardly act of terror. It was intended to break our spirit. But New Yorkers are resilient. We will be undeterred. Gov. Andrew Cuomo referred to the incident as a "lone wolf" attack, and added that at this point in the investigation, there is no evidence to suggest that there was a wider plot. Around the globe, cities have been on high alert regarding vehicle attacks. ISIS has been encouraging its followers to mow down people, and England, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in recent months and years. Member of joint terrorism task force tells Rick Leventhal that the suspect exited vehicle with a paintball gun and a BB gun.Video Source: Lower Manhattan suspect yelled 'Allahu Akbar' FBI officials confirmed to Fox News that they have agents responding to the situation with the NYPD. A bomb squad examined the truck, but found no explosives. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that "DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people." Following the incident, President Donald Trump tweeted, "looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!" Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you! Trump later tweeted that his "thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!" Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you! Police said the truck entered the bike path on West Street a few blocks from the new World Trade Center -- the site of the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history -- and plowed into several people. The driver jumped out of his rental truck -- which police say Saipov rented from Home Depot around 2 p.m. Tuesday -- carrying what turned out to be a paintball gun and a pellet gun. Video of the attack provided to Fox News by a witness shows the accused suspect running through traffic on the West Side Highway, surrounded by police in the nearby area. Despite the attack, the city's Halloween Parade went on as planned, with police "dramatically increasing presence," including "personnel, blocker trucks, long guns etc.," according to De Blasio's press secretary. Cuomo and de Blasio both attended the annual event. Fox News' Jake Gibson, Catherine Herridge, Rick Leventhal and The Associated Press contributed to this report.