As children were dismissed from school on Halloween, a 29-year-old man took advantage of the crowded streets to commit the deadliest terror attack on New York City since September 11, 2001.

The man, who has been identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, drove a rented pickup truck down a crowded bike path in Manhattan, killing eight and injuring 13 civilians. The rampage escalated when Saipov collided with a school bus and jumped out of the truck yelling “Allahu akbar,” Arabic for “God is great,” as he waved a pellet and paintball gun. Seconds later, he was shot in the stomach by a police officer. Saipov was charged with federal terrorism offenses. Soon after, investigators found ISIS-related images and videos on Saipov’s cellphone.

Saipov left behind a mile-long crime scene consisting of scattered bodies of innocent civilians and broken bikes. He hit most of the bikers from behind, driving them into the asphalt.

Saipov is an Uzbekistan native who came to the United States in 2010 and lived in New Jersey. He had a green card which permitted his legal residency in America.  

Despite the fact that this attack took place around 3,000 miles away from Claremont, the threat to our safety is something that affects our country as a whole.

Sophia Jahadhmy (‘18) said, “It is unacceptable that these attacks continue to happen and I want to know how we can fix it because it seems to be a never-ending cycle.”

With a similar opinion, Natalya Bachoura (‘18) said, “I feel like every day I am hearing about another act of terror and it breaks my heart. What occurred in New York was terrible, as have all the recent terrorist attacks that have been occurring in the United States and around the world. As ISIS takes credit for these attacks, they are trying to breed fear in everyone, but what they do not understand is that instead people are uniting in strength and that is all we could ever hope for.”

Even after such a shattering act of terrorism, the people of New York and beyond have come together stronger than ever using social media as a platform to share their love. On Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, the hashtags #PrayforNYC and #prayfornewyork are trending. To help those who lost their loved ones and lives, you can donate blood to the New York Blood Center or support New York City’s school system by donating to NYC’s Fund for Public Schools.