Latin America News – Victims Of NYC Terror Attack Stretch To South America

A body lies covered in the background as investigators converged on the scene in downtown Manhattan, Tues as seen in this contributed image from the window of the Manhattan Community College in NYC. (Anita M. Samuels image )

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Nov. 1, 2017: Some of the 8 victims of the NYC terror attack in downtown Manhattan yesterday were from South America, according to one foreign government ministry.

The Foreign Ministry of the South American nation of Argentina last night said Argentine citizens were among those who died in the terror attack perpetrated allegedly by Sayfullo Saipov, 29, a citizen of Uzbekistan in a bike path near the World Trade Center Tuesday.

The ministry did not, however, know how many citizens died as of last night. They also did not release the names of the victims.

New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill said Saipov used a rented Home Depot truck from New Jersey and entered the West Side Highway bike path at West Street and Houston Street around 3:05 p.m.

Driving south, he accelerated and began mowing down bicyclists and pedestrians as he drove southbound. While driving south on the path the truck then collided with a school bus at West Street & Chambers Street in Tribeca.

The suspect then “exited the vehicle brandishing two handguns,” O’Neill said. A paintball gun and a pellet gun were later recovered at the scene.

New York Police Commissioner James O’Neill said at a press conference Monday afternoon, that Saipov used a rented Home Depot truck from New Jersey and entered the West Side Highway bike path at West Street and Houston Street around 3:05 p.m. (NYPD/Twitter image)

A police officer confronted the man and shot him in the abdomen, wounding him. Police arrested the suspect and said they were not seeking anyone else in the incident.

Saipov reportedly moved to the United States from Uzbekistan about five or six years ago. He lived in Cincinnati, reportedly, before moving to Florida.

“This was a cowardly act of terror. It was intended to break our spirit. But New Yorkers are resilient. We will be undeterred,” NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio said after the attack.