A U-Haul truck struck and injured eight people, including a police officer, in a «violent rampage» Monday in Brooklyn, New York City police said.
Officers responded to a report of a man driving a U-Haul truck in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn striking pedestrians at 10:50 a.m., New York Police Commissioner Keechant L told reporters. .sewell.
Authorities eventually stopped the vehicle near the entrance to the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel and took the driver into custody before noon.
While Sewell did not release the name of the driver, four senior law enforcement officials identified him as 62-year-old Weng Sor. It was not immediately clear if the driver had an attorney.
The van had an Arizona license plate, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter.
Seven different locations were being processed as a result of the disturbance, Sewell said.
Seven of the injured were civilians and one was a police officer «taking police action» during the incident, he said. Among the injured, three were on mopeds and at least one was a pedestrian, a man in his 30s, according to authorities.
Two of the injured are in critical condition, two more are in serious condition and the other four have minor injuries, the New York City Fire Department and police said.
Sewell stressed that «there is no indication of terrorist involvement in this incident.»
New York City Councilman Justin Brannan, whose district includes Bay Ridge, tweeted«We have no idea of the motives at this time, but this was not an accident.»
Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted on Monday afternoon that he was informed of the situation and that his team was coordinating with the police.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams was also briefed on the matter, his press secretary Fabien Levy, tweeted.
“While the suspect is in custody, the NYPD is still investigating. There are no additional credible threats at this time,» Levy said.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.