The motice behind the attack on Salman Rushdie is nor clear, the New York Police said. Reports quoted an eye witness saying the attacker was dressed in black with a black mask.
The attacker of Salman Rushdie has been identified as 24-year-old Had Matar who is from New Jersey. The New York Police are yet to press charges against the attacker, it said in a statement as the charges will depend on Rushdie’s condition. The alleged attacker has been taken into custody. “The suspect has been identified as Hadi Matar, 24, from Fairview, New Jersey. Earlier today, approx. at 10:47 am, the speaker Rushdie,75 and Henry Reese,73 had just arrived at the stage of the institution and shortly thereafter the suspect jumped out of the stage and attacked at least once in the neck and at least once in the abdomen,” State Police Troop Commander Major Eugene J. Staniszewski said in a news conference.
Here is what we know about 24-year-old Hadi Matar and the attack on Salman Rushdie
1. Hadi Matar had a pass to attend the lecture. His last official address was in Fairview, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.
2. The motive of Matar’s attack remains unclear, Police said. It is also believed that he acted alone.
3. Some reports claimed that Hadi Matar had sympathies towards the Iranian government that had called for Rushdie’s death.
4. According to NBC news, Hadi Matar had made social media posts in support of Iran and its Revolutionary Guard, and in the support of Shia extremism.
5. Hadi Matar was dressed in black and was wearing a black mask, an eyewitness confirmed to NBC News.
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