The suspect was shot by police officers after exiting the rental truck holding "imitation firearms," and taken into custody alive, the New York Police Department said via Twitter shortly after the event. A pellet gun and paintball gun were found at the scene.
The alleged killer, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, has been hospitalized. Multiple outlets said Saipov had lived in Tampa, Florida.
Upon stepping out of the car, the assailant yelled "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is Great," eyewitnesses told the police. The vehicular attack is being investigated by the FBI Joint Terrorism task force as a "suspected" terror attack, Channel 4 New York reported on TV. Addressing reporters Monday evening, the NYPD commissioner said the statements made by the attacker were "consistent" with a terrorist attack.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the attack was likely a "lone wolf" attack.
The suspect drove a rented Home Depot truck drove down a popular bike and walking path for 10 blocks mowing down civilians. A school bus eventually got in the automobile's way to limit the destruction, according to an eyewitness. Two adults and two children aboard were injured.
The NYPD would usually have jurisdiction over a crime in New York but the FBI can overrule their jurisdiction depending on the nature of the crime.
At least one police officer was injured, emergency medics said.
"Currently there is one person in custody," the New York Police Department stated. "No other outstanding. All information is preliminary as the investigation is ongoing," NYPD said in a Twitter post.
US President Donald Trump has been apprised of the attack.
New York City Mayor De Blasio called the incident "a particularly cowardly act of terror" during the Tuesday evening news briefing.
Vehicles have been used by alleged terrorists at an accelerating rate. The attacks on Barcelona, Spain in August, the London Bridge in June, and the Berlin Christmas market last December also featured an automobile as the primary tool for inciting mayhem.
At least seven people are dead and others injured after a truck drove onto a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York City. The sprawling crime scene runs several blocks along the West Side Highway, a few blocks away from One World Trade Center, ABC News reported.
A vehicle entered the West Street pedestrian and bike path north of Chambers Street, hitting multiple people on the path, leaving some dead and "numerous people injured," New York City police said, citing preliminary investigation.
The vehicle kept driving south until it hit another vehicle, police said. At that point, the suspect, who was "displaying imitation firearms," got out of the vehicle and was shot by responding officers, authorities said.
The suspect is in custody, police said.
A truck hit multiple people on the bike path on the West Side Highway, a witness told ABC's New York station WABC. The truck crashed into a school bus at Chambers and West streets, near Stuyvesant High School, the witness added.
"Everybody started running," the witness said. "...Everything was happening so fast."
The witness added of the driver, "He kept going all the way down full speed."
"Thank god the trick-or-treaters weren't out yet," the witness later said.
There is no active threat, according to the mayor's press secretary.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are heading to the scene.
The FBI is also responding to the incident.
Police warned that New Yorkers should expect many emergency personnel in the area.
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