An Uzbek immigrant has been charged by US prosecutors with causing the deaths of at least eight people in New York by mowing them down in a truck.
Sayfullo Saipov was taken to the New York federal courthouse in a wheelchair, handcuffed and with his feet shackled on Wednesday, shortly after the charges were announced at a press conference.
Saipov told investigators he was inspired by Islamic State videos, in particular one showing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and began planning an attack a year ago, a federal criminal complaint states.
Saipov decided to conduct a truck attack “to inflict maximum damage against civilians” and that he specifically chose to strike on Halloween “because he believed there would be more civilians on the street for the holiday,” the complaint says.
Suzix people died at the scene and two more in hospital. Twelve people were injured, nine of whom remain in hospital.
