Deadly truck attack in Nice: What we know Friday
A truck plowed into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France, on Thursday, killing at least 84 people, including two Americans, and injuring hundreds of others, French officials said. The driver of the large white commercial truck, identified as Mohamed Bouhlel, was eventually shot dead by police as he attempted to flee the scene.
The attack marks the third time France has endured gruesome carnage on its own soil in the past year and a half.
Here's what we know:
What happened
A truck smashed through a pedestrian-only area near the iconic Promenade des Anglais in Nice, driving a distance of over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). People were watching fireworks for Bastille Day, a holiday like the USA's Independence Day. Witnesses described the horrific scene in gruesome detail.
The driver
Mohamed Bouhlel, 31, a Nice resident, is the main suspect in the attack, the city's mayor's office confirmed Friday. Bouhlel is a French national of Tunisian descent, and it's unclear whether he attacked alone or if he was part of a larger terror group. His truck was loaded with arms and grenades, according to Christian Estrosi, the regional council president of the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur.
Deaths and injuries
The death toll increased through the night, totaling 84, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed Friday. According to a Paris prosecutor, 202 were wounded, 25 are on life support and 52 are in critical condition. More than 10 children were among the dead, Estrosi said. Two Americans were killed in the attack, according to the U.S. Department of State. Sean Copeland and his 11-year-old son Brodie were killed in the attacks, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
What's next?
Hollande summoned a defense council meeting Friday with other key ministers and officials, before heading to Nice. The French leader plans to call up additional reserves to help police, particularly at French borders. He also extended France's state of emergency by three months. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also announced three days of national mourning, starting Saturday.
U.S. reaction
President Obama condemned the terror attack, while presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton agreed that the incident was another declaration of war.
“This is war,” Trump said after the apparent terrorist attack. Clinton, in rare unanimity, agreed. “We've got to do more to understand that this is a war against these terrorist groups, the radical jihadist groups,” she said on Fox News.
(Contributing: Associated Press)