The US State Department has thanked and honoured Syrian immigrant Zack Tahhan for helping find the suspect in the New York subway shooting this week, connecting it to Arab American Heritage Month.
Mr Tahhan shared with onlookers and reporters in Manhattan on Wednesday his claims that he found Frank James — the suspect in a shooting incident on a Brooklyn subway train on Tuesday in which 23 people were injured — and called a city police tip line.
“This Arab American Heritage Month, we salute a New York hero and Syrian immigrant Zach Tahhan who played a role in the apprehension of the suspect in this week’s New York metro shooting,” the Near East Bureau of the US State Department tweeted, using a #ThankYouZack hashtag.
April is Arab American Heritage Month in the US, which the US State Department formally recognised in 2021.
“Immigrants with origins from the Arab world have been arriving to the United States since before our country’s independence and have contributed to our nation’s advancements in science, business, technology, foreign policy and national security,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Mr Tahhan is a Syrian immigrant who came to the US five years ago. He lives in New Jersey and works as a security camera installer.
In an interview with Documented, a non-profit news publication covering immigrants in New York City, Mr Tahhan said he was born in the US and his family moved to Aleppo in northern Syria.
He and his family fled the country when the Syrian civil war began. He then returned to the US after spending time in Istanbul in Turkey.
The New York Police Department has not publicly confirmed Mr Tahhan's role in finding Mr James, and it is not known if he has received a part of a reward for the apprehension of the suspect.
“We believe [Mr James] was one of the tipsters because a caller to the Crime Stoppers hotline identified himself as the suspect and described the clothing accurately,” a law enforcement official close to the investigation told The National on Wednesday.
“At the same time, we had other tips from other citizens pointing him out in the same area.”
Still, many across social media thanked Mr Tahhan for his service.
New York State attorney general Letitia James tweeted: “Thank you for your bravery today, Zack. All of New York is grateful.”
In the aftermath of his newfound fame, social media accounts claiming to be Mr Tahhan are popping up around cyberspace, as well as crowdsource funding sites that have no connection to him.
Mr James has been charged with a terrorist or other violent attack against a mass transit system.
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Police circulated images of Frank R James, 62, after the mass shooting in Brooklyn, New York. EPA -
Emergency crews at the entrance to the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn, after the rush-hour shooting on Tuesday. AP -
Police and fire officials at the scene in New York. EPA -
Several people were shot, with wounded commuters left bleeding on the platform. EPA -
At least 13 people were injured. AP -
Officers with dogs trained to sniff out explosives were among the police at the scene. AP -
Sniffer dogs at the station. AP -
Police and fire crews at the scene. EPA -
The fire department said 13 people were injured, while police said at least five had been shot. AFP -
Heavily armed police at the cordoned-off station. Getty -
Onlookers stand behind the cordon. Getty -
Rush-hour commuters were caught up in the incident. AFP -
Bomb disposal experts arrive at the station. EPA -
Emergency services vehicles outside the scene of the shooting. AP -
Police and rescue workers crowd the street outside the station after the shooting. AFP -
New York commuters wait for a subway train after the shooting. Reuters -
A police officer and dog check a subway station in Manhattan after the Brooklyn incident. Reuters -
Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers carry out checks in Manhattan. Reuters -
Stations throughout the network were on alert. Reuters -
Police and security officers on patrol at Manhattan's 42nd Street station. Reuters -
Heavily armed police at the scene of the shooting in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighbourhood. AFP -
Emergency workers at the scene of the shooting. EPA
