New York attacker reportedly bragged about deadly rampage in hospital

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 1 November 2017

The perpetrator of Tuesday's deadly truck attack in New York City was inspired by Islamic State propaganda, law enforcement officials told NBC News. Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, is accused of driving a rental truck into pedestrians on a bike path in lower Manhattan, and a senior official briefed on the investigation said he left an Arabic-language note inside the vehicle that read "ISIS Lives Forever."

An immigrant from Uzbekistan, Saipov formerly lived in Florida and worked as a truck driver; most recently, he lived in New Jersey and worked for Uber. One acquaintance, Kobiljon Matkarov, who knew Saipov in Florida, said the suspected attacker appeared to be a "very happy guy" and that he "liked the U.S."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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