COLUMBUS – Police trying to piece together the life of the suspect in a deadly truck rampage in New York are talking with those who knew him in Ohio and who tell conflicting stories.
A former fellow truck driver in Ohio says Sayfullo Saipov would disagree with everyone and was “aggressive.”
But a former neighbor describes the Uzbek immigrant as a peacemaker in the neighborhood.
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Authorities say Saipov was inspired by the Islamic State group’s online videos and plotted his New York City attack for two months.
They say the 29-year-old man chose to attack on Halloween because he believed streets would be extra crowded, and he rented a truck ahead of time to practice turning it.
Authorities also say that after killing eight people in Tuesday’s attack, Saipov told investigators that he felt good about what he’d done.
Those details emerged in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday against the 29-year-old Uzbek immigrant. He’s facing federal terrorism charges that could carry the death penalty.
Saipov’s appointed lawyer, David Patton, says he hopes “everyone lets the judicial process play out.”