Hillary Clinton condemns "apparent terrorist attacks" in N.Y., N.J., Minn.
Hillary Clinton responded to the blasts in New York and New Jersey and the stabbing in a mall in Minnesota, calling them “apparent terrorist attacks.”
“Law enforcement officials are working to identify who was behind the attacks in New York and New Jersey and we should give them the support they need to finish the job and bring those responsible to justice - we will not rest until that happens,” she said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. “ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack in Minnesota, and this should steel our resolve to protect our country and defeat ISIS and other terrorist groups.”
In Minnesota, eight people were taken to the hospital with injuries after a man went on a stabbing spree in a St. Cloud, Minn., mall Saturday evening. The same night, a bomb went off in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, injuring dozens; a separate pipe bomb injured dozens more when it went off near a charity 5K race on the Jersey Shore Saturday. No fatalities have been reported in any of the attacks.
Clinton’s statement came after ISIS claimed responsibility for the Minnesota mall attack, with the ISIS-run Rasd news agency calling the suspect a “soldier of the Islamic State.” A federal law enforcement source told CBS News the Minnesota suspect went through the mall asking people if they were Muslim, stabbing them if they were not.
The Democratic candidate also noted that she has “laid out a comprehensive plan” to stop similar “lone-wolf” attacks in the U.S.
“This includes launching an intelligence surge to help identify and thwart attacks before they can be carried out, and to spot lone wolf attackers,” Clinton said. “We also need to work with Silicon Valley to counter propaganda and recruitment efforts online. Americans have faced threats before, and our resilience in the face of them only makes us stronger.”
Republican nominee Donald Trump tweeted his condolences for those affected by the New York blast:
On Saturday night, Trump told a rally in Colorado Springs that “a bomb went off in New York” before he or anyone else, including the New York Police Department, had publicly confirmed that the blast came from a bomb.
