Newton resident among those injured in New York City terror attack

NEWTON, Mass. — A Newton man in New York City Tuesday was injured in a terrorist attack that left at least eight people dead and several others injured.

Newton City Councilor James Cote told Boston 25 News that Martin Marro was riding his bicycle through the city with a group of people from Argentina when they were struck.

“Obviously it’s shocking to hear of these attacks anyway, but then when we heard that a friend was involved, somewhat obviously relieved that he’s OK, but we feel real badly for him on behalf of his friends. When you have friends for that long a period of time it’s really disturbing,” Cote said.

Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, in Cambridge, released a statement Wednesday morning after learing its employee, Marro, was among those who were injured.

"With sadness, we confirm that one of our scientists was injured in yesterday’s horrific attack on pedestrians in lower Manhattan," the company said in a statement to Boston 25 News. "He is being cared for at a hospital in New York and we are providing full support to him and his family. Our thoughts are with him, his family and others affected by this tragedy."

Officials say a man in a rented pickup truck mowed down pedestrians and bicyclists along a busy bike path Tuesday in what the mayor called "a particularly cowardly act of terror." The driver was shot by police and taken into custody.

Several of the people riding bicycles with Marro were killed. According to Cote, Marro is from Argentina and was at a reunion with friends from the country in New York for a reunion when they went for a bike ride.

>>RELATED: NYPD: 8 dead after car drives onto bike path in act of terrorism

Massachusetts State Police spokesman David Procopio says authorities have not indicated any connection to the state "at this point in this investigation." He says there are no known "credible terrorist threats to this state."

Former Boston Police Chief Daniel Linskey, who now works for security firm Kroll Associates, said the symbolism of attacking unsuspecting victims has become an attractive target for terrorists.

"It's not a new tactic, but being thought of more intently especially with strides the military is making in Middle East. Jihadists telling followers not to bother engaging in warfare there, but to do something in own backyard," he said.

Linskey said attacks like this have become especially popular in recent years because of how little planning is required. It's part of the reason city officials decided to close Lansdowne Street on Red Sox game days.

“You can't cover every car rental place, every Home Depot. In fact, someone can just go out and purchase a car - especially if they’re on a jihadist mission and they don’t intend on ever making payment," Linskey said. “They're cowards, easy way to target innocent people."

Boston police say there's no known threat to the Boston area. The department is reminding officers to be "extra vigilant" during their patrols Tuesday evening.

Last week, Marro attended a fundraiser for Councilman Cote that was also attended by Gov. Charlie Baker. Photos from the event were posted online by Republican State Committeeman Tom Mountain.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group