Twitter there are reports of multiple casualties after an incident involving a truck colliding with cyclists in lower Manhattan.
At least seven people were killed and another nine were injured when a suspect drove his truck dozens of blocks down a cyclist lane Tuesday afternoon in Lower Manhattan.
Police say the suspect was taken into custody after officers responded to the reports of a possible shooting and vehicle accident. Emergency personnel rushed to the scene where a number people were laying on the ground injured from the incident near Stuyvesant High School.
Police say that a vehicle entered the West Street pedestrian/bike path north of Chambers Street and drove down the path, striking people along the way. As it continued, it hit another vehicle and the driver exited, displaying “imitation firearms.” He was shot by officers and arrested.
The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD
Paramedics were seen removing an victims from the scene on stretchers. Police say they haven’t yet ruled out terrorism as being the motive behind the fatal incident.
Paramedics removing victims from mangled school bus outside Stuyvesant High School
The aftermath of the scene was captured and posted to Twitter in a video. It starts with a male laying down and appearing unresponsive in the cyclist lane while a bicycle lays nearby. He’s being tended to by a male as a few feet down the road, other cyclists and bikes are seen laying on the ground in a chilling scene.
Watch a video of the aftermath of the incident below. But be warned that it contains graphic content.
BREAKING VIDEO: Shooting/car ramming incident Manhattan, multiple injured. Warning Graphic content
Reporter Myles N. Miller said that officers say the suspect appeared to be “shooting” at people as he drove down the West Side highway in the truck before it got into an accident with another vehicle.
A witness named “Mateo” told Mill that he saw a car crash and afterward, a man with two guns was “running around” and “four shots went off.” After the shots, police responded to the scene, he said.
“It happened so quick, I don’t really know what happened,” he said. “I just saw the dude with the two guns and all of a sudden four shots went off and we just started running.”
Witness describes what he saw in Lower Manhattan
Another witness, Frank Brito, told the New York Daily News that he saw the scene unfold, as two trucks crashed into each other and a “heavy-set man” got out of a vehicle and chased someone, firing at least six shots.
Stuyvesant High School was locked down as a result of the incident, and streets around the area were closed. Students from the school were later dismissed after the suspect was taken into custody.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was seen near the scene a short while later, saying on Twitter that he’d been briefed with preliminary information regarding the incident.
I have been briefed with preliminary information on the situation in Lower Manhattan and am heading to the scene.
An official police briefing was scheduled for 5:15 p.m. local time, where officials will update the public on the latest information regarding the incident.
