The suspect in the New York terrorism attack has been identified as Sayfullo Saipov, according to multiple news outlets.
ABC News first reported that Saipov is a 29-year-old male from Tampa, Florida, and other news outlets reported that he also lived in Paterson, New Jersey.
CBS News first reported the Muslim middle name “Habibullaevic” and that he was from Uzbekistan, a mostly Muslim former Soviet republic in Central Asia. The photo CBS released of him showed a full Muslim-style beard.
Fox News reported that Saipov arrived in the U.S. as a legal immigrant in 2010.
The New York Post reported that Saipov was an Uber driver and interviewed a fellow Uzbek who described him as “very friendly.”
“He is like little brother… he look at me like big brother,” Kobiljon Matkarov, 37, told the Post by phone Tuesday from his home in Miamisburg, Ohio.
Mr. Matkarov reportedly expressed shocked when told why Saipov was in the news Tuesday, saying that his friend had no terrorist ties and inclination that he knew of.
New York officials did not publicly name the suspect at an afternoon press conference but did say he was 29 and not from New York. Eyewitnesses told police the attacker yelled “allahu akbar” as he exited the truck.
Eight people were killed and at least 11 others injured in the attack, in which a driver drove a Home Depot rental truck the wrong way down a lower Manhattan bike path.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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