iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — At least five of the eight people killed in Tuesday’s truck attack in New York City were from Argentina, visiting New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation, the country’s consulate in New York City said.
The five Argentinians allegedly killed by suspected attacker Sayfullo Saipov were identified as Hernan Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernan Ferruchi, the consulate said.
Argentina’s president, Mauricio Macri, said today that the victims were from the city of Rosario.
The city has declared three days of mourning.
“They were five young entrepreneurs, model citizens in Rosario society and I can only imagine with beautiful families,” Macri said in Spanish.
“This is something that has impacted all Argentines and myself in particular,” Macri said. “I want to send my condolences to all of the families but this also reminds us that there is no space for gray zones in today’s world and we all must stand together in the fight against terrorism.”
A Belgian citizen was also killed in the attack, the deputy prime minister of Belgium tweeted, though not naming the person.
The identities of the other two people killed were also not immediately clear.
Besides the eight deaths, 12 people, including two children and two school staff members, were injured.
An Argentinian identified as Martin Ludovico Marro was also among the injured and three Belgians were also wounded, officials said.
Tuesday’s deadly incident is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.
The chaos unfolded shortly after 3 p.m., when the suspect drove a vehicle — a Home Depot rental truck, according to the company — onto the West Street pedestrian and bike path north of Chambers Street, hitting multiple people on the path, New York City police said. The truck drove south and collided with a school bus on Chambers Street near Stuyvesant High School, injuring two school staff members and two children, police said.
After the collision, the truck driver exited the vehicle brandishing what appeared to be two handguns, police said. NYPD police officer Ryan Nash confronted the suspect and shot him in the abdomen. The suspect was wounded and transported to a hospital, police said.
A paintball gun and a pellet gun were recovered at the scene, police said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Tuesday called the incident a “cowardly act of terror.”
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