The man suspected of carrying out a deadly terror attack in New York City on Tuesday made a phone call immediately before ramming his truck into group of pedestrians and cyclists.
The FBI said that Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, a 32-year-old native of Uzbekistan, received a phone call from the suspected attacker Sayfullo Saipov shortly before he used his vehicle to kill eight people in Manhattan.
The discussion between the two, who authorities describe as friends, remains unknown, according to ABC News.
Mukhammadzoir Kadirov (left), 32, received a phone call from suspected terrorist Sayfullo Saipov (right) minutes before carrying out a deadly car ramming attack on Tuesday
Sayfullo Saipov, 29, is accused of using his truck to kill eight people on Tuesday in New York City
Kadirov voluntarily came into into questioning on Wednesday after authorities releasing his picture to the media. He is currently not being treated as a suspect.
Saipov, a 29-year-old Uzbekistan immigrant who has been living in New Jersey, was charged on Wednesday with committing the attack in the name of the Islamic State militant group.
U.S. law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, separately on Wednesday said Saipov had been in contact with Kadirov and one other person.
The officials, who asked not to be identified because the investigation is ongoing, did not provide further details.
Kadirov was located after the wanted poster went out, William Sweeney, assistant director-in-charge of the New York FBI office, told a news conference. He declined to disclose any details.
‘Earlier as we came in this evening, we were seeking information about an individual,’ Sweeney said. ‘Many of you in this room received that alert. We are no longer seeking that individual,’ he said.
Authorities said the two men are ‘friends.’ The FBI, however, said Kadirov is not currently a suspect
The New York FBI office on Twitter said it was still seeking any information the public might have on Kadirov.
On October 31, Saipov rented a pickup truck at a Home Depot in Passaic New Jersey, drove into Manhattan and then mowed down people on a bike path along the Hudson River – killing eight and injuring 12.
Saipov charged on Wednesday with committing the attack in the name of the Islamic State militant group
Eventually Saipov crashed into a minibus carrying special needs children, got out of the truck and started menacing drivers on the West Side Highway with a paintball gun.
A 28-year-old cop brought the massacre to an end by shooting Saipov in the stomach.
As he was recovering in the hospital on Wednesday, Saipov asked if he could hang an ISIS flag in his hospital room and said ‘he felt good about what he had done,’ according to the criminal complaint.
Brought to court in a wheelchair, Saipov was held without bail on charges that could bring the death penalty.
According to the criminal complaint, Saipov chose the attack date to target Halloween crowds.
During the last few weeks, Saipov searched the internet for information on Halloween in New York City and rented a truck to practice turns.
He chose a route along a lower Manhattan highway and initially hoped to continue to hit more pedestrians on the Brooklyn Bridge, the complaint said.