Ariel Erlij, 48, was visiting New York City with childhood friends from Argentina to mark the 30th anniversary of their graduation from the General San Martín Polytechnic Institute in Rosario. Erlij, described as a successful steel company owner who helped fund parts of the trip, was taking part in a group bike ride along the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan on October 31, 2017 when a rented Home Depot pickup truck driven by Sayfullo Saipov veered onto the busy bike path.

The truck deliberately targeted cyclists and pedestrians; Erlij and four friends were struck and killed as part of the larger attack that left eight people dead and many others injured. The vehicle crashed into a school bus, and the driver exited armed with items later identified as a paintball gun and a pellet gun before being shot in the abdomen by a police officer and taken into custody. Saipov, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, was found to have a note proclaiming allegiance to the Islamic State and was charged in the incident.

Does anyone have memories of Ariel or his friends from Rosario, or information about the group’s visit that could add context to what happened that day?