On October 31, 2017, a terrorist attack occurred on a bicycle path in Lower Manhattan, New York City, leaving eight people dead and twelve others injured.
The attacker, Sayfullo Saipov, plowed a rented pickup truck into pedestrians and cyclists, before crashing into a school bus and being shot and apprehended by police.
The attack was deemed a terrorist act by the New York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Saipov, an Uzbek national who had entered the United States in 2010, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) prior to the attack.
In November 2017, Saipov was charged with federal terrorism offenses, including providing material support to a terrorist organization and violence and destruction of motor vehicles.
As President Biden assumed office on January 20, 2021, Saipov's trial is still ongoing and no verdict has been reached yet.
It is not clear if the Biden administration will seek the death penalty for Saipov, as the President has previously expressed opposition to capital punishment.
It is important to note that the decision to seek the death penalty in a federal case ultimately lies with the attorney general, who is appointed by the president.
It is not known whether President Biden has given any guidance on this case.
In any case, the victims and their families will undoubtedly want to see justice served for the heinous act that took the lives of their loved ones.