Singer Josh Groban was near the site of what New York major Bill DeBlasio called "a cowardly act of terror" in Manhattan on Tuesday that killed at least eight people. Groban detailed what he saw in a series of heartbreaking tweets.
According to People, Groban was out for a walk with his dog in the downtown area when he "heard gun shots and ran."
Oh my god I just heard gun shots and ran with my dog. Downtown. Fuck.
— josh goblin ? (@joshgroban) October 31, 2017
"I hope everyone's ok," he wrote shortly after the incident. "Was half a block from me, didn't see it but heard 8-10 quick rounds fired off. Be safe with your kids out there."
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Minutes later he wrote that he was "shaking," adding that he was "supposed to have coffee" on the corner where the driver in a rented truck sped down the wrong side of the road, hitting pedestrians and bicyclists who were traveling on a bike path. Thankfully, he said that his dog "pulled me into the park half a block away 10 min before shooting."
I’m shaking. That’s the corner I was supposed to have my coffee but my dog pulled me into the park half a block away 10 min before shooting. https://t.co/AvQeRv7Jha
— josh goblin ? (@joshgroban) October 31, 2017
Many are reporting that the attack was eerily similar to terrorist attacks in Europe, in which people who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State have used trucks and vans to crash into civilians in densely populated areas. The method has also been used domestically; it's the same used at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that killed counter-protester Heather Heyer and injured 19 others.
The NYPD have been training in case an attack like this happened in the city and wasted no time arriving on the scene and incapacitating the suspect who was shot (not fatally) before being taken into custody. Groban applauded "the quick response from our amazing NYPD and NYFD" and shared a video of what he was seeing on the ground.
Once I got far enough away I took this video of the quick response from our amazing NYPD and NYFD pic.twitter.com/v0nwJiqmDw
— josh goblin ? (@joshgroban) October 31, 2017
Groban shared that he was "devastated for the victims and their families tonight & inspired by the spirit of the city," later adding that he was happy to see kids still going out on the streets in their costumes.
the costumes are premium A+ platinum level awesome tonight on the streets. I especially dig the parent/kid combos like Dr. Brenner/Eleven.
— josh goblin ? (@joshgroban) October 31, 2017