Investigators from the FBI and NYPD probing the background of 29-year-old suspected terrorist Sayfullo Saipov - who was taken into custody alive after yesterday's grisly Halloween attack in Lower Manhattan - say that he planned the attack weeks ahead of time, the Washington Post reported.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the attacker was influenced by the Islamic State and its violent tactics after arriving in this country from Uzbekistan. Officials say the suspected attacker, Sayfullo Saipov, left a note declaring his allegiance to the group. Authorities have found no direct connection between Saipov and ISIS, and the group typically doesn't take credit for attacks when the attacker is captured alive.
However, in a chilling revelation that suggest Saipov might've left clues about his intentions for authorities, the Daily Mail reported that an image showing an individual, who isn't pictured, holding a photo of the ISIS flag at the exact spot where Saipov allegedly mounted the barrier onto the West Side Highway bike path, emerged online some two months ago.
More details about the attack were released Wednesday afternoon during a press conference with NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio, Cuomo and NYPD Police Chief Jim O'Neil. Cuomo and DeBlasio also discussed previously undisclosed details during an appearance on CNN.
“The evidence shows . . . that after he came to the United States, is when he started to become informed about ISIS and radical Islamic tactics,” Cuomo said during an appearance on CNN’s “New Day”, using one of the acronyms for the group.
“We have no evidence yet of associations or continuing plot or associated plots, and our only evidence to date is that this was an isolated incident that he himself performed.”
In the photo, an individual can be seen holding a phone on the corner of Houston Street and West Street in Manhattan with skyscrapers including 1 World Trade Center in the background. According to the respected SITE group which monitors terror activity, the image appeared two months ago. ISIS propaganda was found at the crime scene, a long with knives purportedly belonging to Saipov.
The Mail noted Saipov's method has all the hallmarks of an ISIS attack, which the group has touted in its monthly magazine - including using a rented vehicle, leaving propaganda inside, and following up the vehicle attack with secondary weapons. ISIS had also issued a propaganda poster earlier in the day calling for attacks on Halloween, though it featured an image of Paris rather than New York. Saipov's method also has all the hallmarks of an ISIS attack, which the group has touted in its monthly magazine - including using a rented vehicle, leaving propaganda inside, and following up the vehicle attack with secondary weapons.
While ISIS hasn't officially taken responsibility for the attack, pro-ISIS channels have been sharing propaganda praising Saipov's brazen attack. As we noted earlier, the attacker reportedly seemed pleased that his attack had been a "success".
Posters commemorating the attack were uploaded online featuring images of the Statue of Liberty exploding and pictures of the carnage caused by 29-year-old Uzbek terrorist Sayfullo Saipov. But while some praised Saipov's actions, thers mocked the low death toll and said they 'would have picked a bigger street'.
Meanwhile, Trump said just minutes ago that he wants to work with Congress to eliminate the diversity lottery program that allowed Saipov legal entry into the US, Reuters reported.