New York attack suspect Sayfullo Saipov: What we know
A look into the background of 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov. He is the man who is reportedly behind the October 31, 2017, terror attack, where he allegedly mowed down pedestrians and cyclists on a New York City bike path.
Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the New York City terror attack on Oct. 31, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in federal court on Tuesday.
Saipov, who allegedly drove a rented truck down a crowded bike lane in New York City on Halloween, is 29 years old and from Uzbekistan. He's in the United States with a green card.
His alleged actions killed eight people and injured 12 more near the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.
Sayfullo Saipov, 29, has been identified by police as the suspected driver of the rented pickup truck who killed at least eight people in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday. (St. Charles County Department of Corrections)
Federal prosecutors have charged Saipov with providing material support to a terrorist group and violence and destruction of motor vehicles.
On Nov. 1, the day after the attack, President Donald Trump said Saipov should receive the death penalty.
"He killed 8 people, badly injured 12. SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" he wrote on Twitter.
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"Would love to send the NYC terrorist to Guantanamo but statistically that process takes much longer than going through the Federal system.." Trump added.
"...There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!" he said in a third tweet.
Additional details about the attack
After driving through the crowded bike path, Saipov crashed into a yellow school bus near Chambers and West Streets in lower Manhattan, police said.
After exiting the vehicle, Saipov yelled “Allahu akbar” ("God is great") and waved around weapons believed to be a paintball gun and a BB gun, police said. The suspect was shot twice by police and taken into custody. He survived his wounds.
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Law enforcement officials said they discovered two notes, handwritten in Arabic, pledging loyalty to ISIS in and near the truck, Fox News has confirmed.
The New York Post reported that some type of symbol or picture of the terrorist organization's flag was discovered.
It's been reported that Saipov rented the truck from a Home Depot store in Passaic, N.J., around 2 p.m., approximately an hour or so before the attack occurred.
Suspect worked as an Uber driver, had a Florida driver’s license
Saipov had worked as an Uber driver in New Jersey, where he was living as recently as this summer. Uber confirmed to Fox News that Saipov passed the company's background check for drivers, but was now banned from the company. Uber added it has not found any safety reports concerning the terror suspect.
In a statement to Fox News, Uber said the company was in contact with the FBI and offered its assistance to the investigation into Saipov. It added that Uber was reviewing Saipov's history with the ride-hailing company.
Authorities discovered that Saipov had a Florida driver's license and has been connected to an address in the Tampa area.
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A friend, Kobiljon Matkarov, said he met Saipov while the two were living in Florida. He described Saipov as being “very friendly” and “very nice.”
Matkarov said he last saw Saipov a few months ago when the suspect picked him up from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Saipov had moved to the area in order to seek better work opportunities.
Matkarov told Fox News that he never noticed any unusual behavior from the suspect, let alone that he’d been radicalized. He said that Saipov was generally a happy-go-lucky person who seemed to love America.
“I know his good side. I know nothing of his bad side,” Matkarov said. “He was always happy. He liked the U.S. He loved this country. That’s why this is all very confusing.”
Fox News’ Perry Chiaramonte, Nicole Darrah, Madeline Farber and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
