A criminal complaint filed against New York City terrorist Sayfullo Saipov said he planned the attack for approximately a year, and made the decision to use a rental truck two months ago.
Saipov purposely chose Halloween to carry out the attack, hoping there would be more people out in public to maximize the casualties, according to The New York Times.
Investigators questioned those close to Saipov, and they said he had been heading down a dark path of destruction for “years.”
Saipov left behind letters at the crime scene written in Arabic, leading authorities to believe he is connected with the Islamic State and radical Islamic terrorism. He was heard shouting the terrorist chant “Allahu Akbar” after hitting a school bus and jumping out of his car, running into oncoming traffic.
He also requested an ISIS flag be hung in his hospital room to while he recovers from wounds. Investigators are still looking into if Saipov acted alone or had additional accomplices.
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