Authorities initially denied that the incident was terror-related.
How did they know? They didn’t. They just really, really didn’t want it to be, because it doesn’t fit their narrative. For the Left and the establishment media, it’s “right-wing extremists,” aka mainstream conservatives, who run people down with trucks, not Islamic jihadis.
“Truck attack in Manhattan being investigated as terrorism, sources say,” by Eric Levenson, Brynn Gingras and Ray Sanchez, CNN, October 31, 2017:
Multiple law enforcement sources say the New York incident is being investigated as terrorism. Separately, four law enforcement sources said witnesses reported the suspect was yelling Allahu Akbar.
One law enforcement source said the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is taking over the lead of the investigation.
[Breaking news update, posted at 4:45 p.m. ET]Six people are dead after a truck hit several people in a bike path, an NYPD official said.
The suspect, in a Home Depot rental truck, hopped a curb at West Houston Street and drove south on the West Street bike path on west side of West Side Highway, the official said.
The suspect hit a school bus and wrecked his truck, the official said. Four people were removed from the bus and they had minor injuries, the official said.
[Previous story, posted at 4:36 p.m. ET]The driver of a truck drove the wrong way down the West Side Highway bike path for several blocks on the lower west side of Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, striking people and leaving up to six people dead, according to two senior law enforcement sources at the New York Police Department.
The driver then exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms and was shot by police, according to the NYPD. The individual is in police custody and is being taken to the hospital for treatment, sources at the NYPD said, adding that police are considering terrorism as part of the investigation.
There were several fatalities and numerous people injured, NYPD said in a tweet. Two senior law enforcement sources added that it appears to be deliberate act.
No others are being sought, the NYPD said. Police said to expect “many emergency personnel” in the area of Chambers Street and West Street on the lower west side of Manhattan.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo both said they are heading to the scene.
News footage showed crowds of spectators — some capturing the scene with cellphone cameras — gathered behind police lines. A white Home Depot truck with the front end smashed in was also visible.
Michael Corbin, the assistant real estate manager for District Council 37, the city’s largest public employee union, was standing outside the union’s lower Manhattan offices attending to a woman who slipped and fell on the sidewalk.
“The first responder to the event was a counterterrorism officer,” he said. “We were attending to the victim, getting her onto a stretcher and, at that moment, we heard gunshots. I recalled hearing five gunshots in quick succession and immediately the officer … left to investigate the situation from the direction we heard the noise coming from.”
Another witness, Ramon Cruz, described what he saw.“What I saw was that the driver — he didn’t look like he was bleeding,” said Cruz. “He was dragging his foot. He looks frustrated, panicked, confused. People are running past me, saying, ‘He’s got a gun. He’s got a gun.” I didn’t see any gun….
anke Leibrecht says
Has anyone ever noticed, that in all these Truck Terror incidents
the trucks are “white”.
I wonder if this has any significance
JawsV says
Out of curiosity I went and checked some articles about the OSU — Columbus campus car jihad in Nov. 2016. Yep, the Moslem’s car was white. He was a Somali refugee we let in.
Milo says
The trucks tend to be rentals or a company owned vehicles and the idea behind this is resale value; white vehicles have better trade in and resale value. As a former employee of ABC-News, I too noticed this and this was the explanation given when I asked. Seems like a reasonable explanation to me.
gravenimage says
Most rental trucks are white with a logo. White is easily seen. There is nothing nefarious about this.
I shop at Home Depot pretty regularly. They had nothing to do with this save for renting the truck. Most people use these trucks for completely innocent matters like local apartment moves and transporting DIY materials.
JawsV says
When the leftists deny you know it’s Islamic Jihad.
Malcolm (South Afric) says
My deepest condolence to the victims and families of the deceased.
We know the dangers of what is in our cities with undocumented illegal immigrants.
The stupidity of tolerating the intolerant is not an option.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/nyregion/new-york-city-council-sanctuary-city-bills.html
More than a half-million undocumented immigrants live in New York City, and government officials have already opposed the Trump administration’s efforts to deport them. Now the City Council is redoubling its efforts.
On Wednesday, three of its committees held a hearing on nine bills aimed at expanding protections for the city’s undocumented immigrants, as well as Muslims and residents who are gay, bisexual or transgender.
Support Trump
MacUalraig says
More gays and all manner of infidels, less Muzz.
gravenimage says
Right, Mac.
Lynn says
I doubt if the FBI will be able to spend much time investigating the jihadist. They are too busy looking for collusion with Russia on the part of our duly elected President.
MacUalraig says
Probably right.
Shmoovie says
Go on with your lives, don’t be concerned with all the necessary increased law enforcement presence tonight and this week.
There is “no ongoing threat” say deBlazio and Cuomo trying to appear defiant.
Just life in a 21st c. big city.
Jack Diamond says
First it’s not “terrorism” then, if it is terrorism, it’s a “lone wolf”. There are no lone wolf jihadis. He is a soldier in an army.
The Qur’an and Sunnah teach jihad, teach killing the unbelievers, teach terrorizing them, teach the great reward this pos will receive in allah’s paradise for murdering 8 infidels, and every good Muslim who gives zakat charity supports those “fighting in the cause of allah” by requirement of Islamic law. The entire Ummah is complicit and guilty
Mockingjay says
– Now that it’s officially jihad terrorism, there’s no time to waste to get busy organizing that BIG anti-islamophobia/ pro-islam/ anti-racist/ anti Trump – rally, New Yorkers!
Boy am I looking forward to seeing another mass of people on the streets of another big Western city, and I REALLY can’t wait to find out which song they will use this time to show how totally forgiving and above violence they all are.
dumbledoresarmy says
Pamela Geller lives in NYC.
*I* hope that the usual tearful fest with flowers and candles will be preempted by an angry, purposeful massed rally gathering at the 9/11 memorial before marching to the Mayor’s HQ. With banners demanding that ALL Muslim immigration to the USA be stopped: NOW and all non-citizen Muslims be expelled, like, yesterday, and all Muslims with citizenship be interned…
And huge banners reading “Got Muslims? Got Jihad”.
dumbledoresarmy says
Other suggestions: a public reading of the whole of Oriana Fallaci’s “The Rage and the Pride”, in Times Square.
And along with it, a public reading, out loud, amplified, of Conor Cruise O’Brien’s blazingly lucid article, “The Lesson of Algeria: Islam is Indivisible”.
O’Brien *nails* it. he disposes summarily of the usual evasions about ‘moderate’ Muslims and terrorists. And he is witheringly scornful about the ‘all relgions are really the same and are about people being nice to each other’ meme. He states, loud and clear “The Jihad is back”.
Dum Spiro says
Maybe Chuck Schumer will suggest some common sense truck control.
Maybe more US citizens will wise up by learning from learned people like Robert Spencer, David Wood, and Dr. Bill Warner…
— Spero
RichardL says
The fact that allahu akbar is not translated (wrongly) into God is great is a step in the right direction. When all those dumb journalists finally get that it really means allah is greater, I will know that the tide is turning.