Transcript for Several dead, others injured after being hit by vehicle in New York City
A special edition of “World news tonight” begins now. Good evening on this Tuesday night. Halloween. And sadly, it will be remembered for what the mayor declared late today was an act of terror that ended not far from ground zero here in New York. A pickup truck turning down a pedestrian path for runners, walkers, bicyclists, and it appears that driver was aiming right for them. Authorities revealing that suspect in a rented pickup truck made a deliberate turn onto that path. It is the deadliest attack since nine. At least eight dead tonight. In more injured. The driver running people over. His path, about a mile long before he ended. The crime scene stretching several blocks. We know the driver almost made it to ground zero, smashing into a school bus in the end. Several children injured, too. This evening, images of the suspect leaving the truck, holding fake guns. Police shooting him. Authorities say he was reportedly shouting “Allahu akbar. “Tonight, this picture of the suspect, obtain bid ABC news. She in custody at this hour. And ABC’s gio Benitez leads us off from the scene. Reporter: Tonight, terror in downtown Manhattan. This man accused of turning a truck into a deadly weapon. We’ve got multiple casualties. Mass casualty situation here. Reporter: At 3:05 P.M., a white truck plowing into pedestrians, killing at least eight. Eye witnesses saying the driver mowed through a popular bike path, hitting more pelds and cyclists, slamming into cars and crumpling bikes. At least 15 more injured as he barrelled through roughly three-quarters of a mile. His truck colliding with a school bus. He kept doing all the way down, full speed. And then the next thing, all I heard was, like, nine, ten gunshots. Reporter: This cell phone video showing the driver limping after getting out of the truck, its front end completely smashed. He’s 408ding what turned out to be two fake guns. Sources telling ABC news he shouted “Allahu akbar.” Tonight, he is now custody. Police say he’s a 29-year-old of Middle Eastern deseventh. This tearful mother saying the attacker pointed one of his guns at her daughter. She said, I saw the man with the guns. He pointed the gun at me. I’m sorry. I have to go get my child. Reporter: Hundreds of police immediately swarming the scene, shutting down parts of lower Manhattan. A nearby school going into lockdown. Chaos and confusion in the streets. At first, reports that it was a rooted rage incident, but then authorities calling it an act of terror. The NYPD already on high alert for truck attacks. We have been tested before as a city, very near the site of today’s tragedy and new yorkers do not give in, in the face of these kind of actions. And gio Benitez joins us live tonight at the scene of this deadly attack. Gio, this began to unfold just after 3:00. Schools just letting out. Parents and their children hearing the Kay goes, the gunshots. At this hour, those gun shots were from police, aimed at the suspect, correct? Reporter: That’s right, David. Because we’re told that he was carrying fake guns. But this was an incredibly dangerous situation. So many kids were already on these streets. They were going home from school. We have three schools, David, just within these two blocks here. Gio Benitez leading us off tonight. Gio, thank you.
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