The death toll is rising after a truck driver mowed down pedestrians and cyclists in the bike lane on West Street in TriBeCa in an apparent terrorist attack.
At least 7 are dead and over a dozen are injured. The suspect is in police custody.
The incident was classified as a possible terrorist attack, based on statements the suspect made to police, WNBC reports.
After driving almost a mile down the bike path, the truck reportedly struck a bus at Chambers Street. The driver then exited and was shot in the buttock by police at around 3:15 p.m. at West Street and Chambers Street.
Two 'inoperable guns' were found at the scene.
“What happened was there was a car crash… he came out of one of the cars. He had two guns. He was running around Chambers and somebody started to chase him,” said Laith Bahlouli, 14, a Stuyvesant student. “I heard four to six gunshots – everybody starts running.”
The bike path there is separated from the motor vehicle lanes.
The scene was under control by about 4 p.m.
People were advised to avoid the area of Chambers/West Street.
NYPD sources report FDR Drive was closed from 34th all the way downtown.
NYPD Bomb Squad cleared a suspicious package on Chambers St. They then moved on to looking through garbage containers as a precaution.
NYPD briefly locked down the West Side Highway.
Check back for more on this developing story.
Photo: Getty Images