At least eight people have been killed and dozens others injured after a Home Depot rental truck plowed through people on a bike path in lower New York near a prestigious private high school and the World Trade Centre.
Videos and pictures of the scene show bikes strewn along the path, which runs alongside the West Side highway in Manhattan. One video showed a body on the ground, while media footage showed people being loaded into ambulances on stretchers.
New York Police Department (NYPD) says that one person is in custody, after he was shot in the abdomen while wielding "imitation firearms". The suspect was identified by US media and others as 29-year-old-Sayfullo Saipov of Tampa, but the NYPD refused to confirm to The Independent the name of the suspect.
The truck entered the bike path at Houston street, and drove through the popular recreational area on the west side of Manhattan, hitting dozens of people, officials said.
The driver eventually smashed into a school bus carrying three children during the rampage, and police say they believe that the suspect deliberately targeted the bus. Witnesses indicated that they had seen the truck swerve to hit the bus.
New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio lamented the deaths in a press conference following the attack, but spoke of resiliency in the face of what he described as an act of terror.
"We know that this action was intended to break our spirit, but we also know that New Yorkers are Strong, New Yorkers are resilient," Mr DeBlasio said. "We have been tested before as a city, very near where this attack occured."
Police advised people to stay away from the area, which is around the Chambers Street. Reports indicate that a nearby high school, Stuyvesant High School, has been placed on lock down, as have several nearby buildings.
New York City will see an increased police presence in its airports, and at major infrastructure points in the coming day, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said during a press conference. He said that there was no indication that there will be another attack, but that they were increasing security as a regular precaution.
"The truth is New York is an international symbol of freedom and democracy. That's what we are and we are proud of it. That also makes us a target for those people who oppose those concepts. We've lived with this before. We've felt the pain before. We feel the pain together. But we go forward today and we go forward together. We're not going to let them win."
Witnesses in the area described a chaotic scene in the area, with sirens blaring in the streets.
"There are nonstop sirens from here to at least Murray HIll," Liz Shi, who was in the area but did not immediately witness the attack, said, referencing a Manhattan neighbourhood in Midtown. Ms Shi said that she was having trouble getting in touch with a friend of hers who works nearby. "Currently trying to contact my friend who is a cook at a restaurant by [there] but I can't reach her."
Students at nearby Brooklyn Community College (BMCC) said that they felt lucky to have avoided the attack, and that even a slight change in the time could have made them a victim.
"I'm just thanking god this incident didn't happen during my class, because I would have been that area; on that side," Alex Johnson, a student, said.
"It's Halloween. Today is the day where people are supposed to be out trick-or-treating. People have their kids out. There are schools all around here," Mr Johnson said. "I thought this space was heavily guarded. It's a wakeup call to know that anything can happen at any moment, and you just have to be aware of your surroundings."
The bike path where the attack occurred sits in lower Manhattan, just north of the World Trade Centre, the site of the last major terrorist attack in the city. The path is lined with colourful autumnal trees, and runs near several schools including BMCC and a nearby high school. The area also sees moderately heavy foot traffic in the city, and had been teeming with children dressed for Halloween festivities.
The city announced, during its preliminary press conference, that a planned Halloween parade would still occur, but that
