According to new reports from multiple news outlets, the NYC Terrorist was previously known to authorities and had been interviewed in a prior counterterrorism investigation in 2015.
The man who rammed a truck into bicyclists and pedestrians in lower Manhattan on Tuesday, killing eight and injuring 11 more, had been known to federal authorities, according to The New York Times.
Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, a 29-year-old Uzbek national living in Paterson, New Jersey, was interviewed in 2015 by federal agents as part of an unrelated counterterrorism case after he was identified as an associate of two men under investigation.
ABC furthered elaborated on these findings:
ABC News says, however, that Saipov was never the main focus of the investigation and law enforcement was never investigating him directly as a terror suspect.
In the last two years, federal prosecutors charged five men from Uzbekistan and one from Kazakhstan for supporting ISIS, according to the Times. It’s unclear, however, if that is the investigation with which Saipov was involved.
News agencies reported that Saipov left a note inside his truck pledging loyalty to ISIS. He also reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar,” which translates to “God is great” in Arabic, as he carried out the attack.
Sadly, this is just another case of our government failing to do its job and keep its citizens safe. Not only did he come here in a completely legal way( Diversity lottery program) but he also was already known to be associated with Terrorists.
ISIS is going to continue to ramp up its efforts to attack not just our country but countries worldwide. We must find a solution to not only properly vet these people but to make sure they aren’t a threat once they come to our country.
