A New York man accused of ramming into several people with his U-Haul truck has claimed the rampage unfolded after he saw an “invisible object” coming towards him.
Weng Sor, 62, is facing one charge of murder and several counts of attempted murder after he struck cyclists and pedestrians in Brooklyn’s bustling Bay Ridge neighbourhood on Monday. The attack, which took place in a span of 48 minutes before Sor’s truck was pinned against a building by police, left one dead and eight others injured.
It has since emerged that Mr Sor was previously jailed in Las Vegas in 2015 for stabbing his brother, according to KLAS-TV. Records from that time said that he had an “unknown type [of] mental health illness for which he takes medication.”
During a Tuesday news conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said that Mr Sor reportedly told officers they should’ve shot him when he was finally arrested. He also allegedly told authorities that he started ploughing into pedestrians because he “had enough” after seeing an invisible object.
“We believe Mr Sor was suffering from a mental health crisis,” Mr Essig said.
Mr Sor was arraigned on Wednesday, Spectrum News reported. His attorney filed for a mental health evaluation before the suspect can enter a plea.
A judge also placed him on suicide watch while the evaluation is pending.
The incident around 11am on Monday was described by New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan as a deliberate “rampage”. Police said that the U-Haul truck had been rented by Mr Sor in late January this year using a Nevada driver’s licence.
Keechant Sewell, the New York City Police Commissioner, said during a press conference on Monday afternoon that there’s no indication that it was terror-related.
Officials announced late on Monday night that one victim had died in the hospital. The New York Post reported that the fatal victim was a 44-year-old man who was struck while riding an e-bike on Bay Ridge Parkway and 5th Avenue.
Records obtained by KLAS show that Mr Sor was imprisoned in Nevada for one to three years for the 2015 stabbing of his brother, ultimately serving 16 months. Separately, in November 2020, Mr Sor allegedly stabbed his roommate in the arm.
Local police said he had been “walking up and down the driveway talking to himself about Communism” before the attack.
The judge in that case found him not fit to stand trial, and he was ordered to serve one year in detention.
