Updated: July 15, 2016
The death toll on Friday has risen to at least 84 after the Bastille Day terrorist attack in Nice, France. The attacker was identified by French and Tunisian news organizations as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old delivery-truck driver who was raised in northeast Tunisia, migrating to France around 2005.
His name was not included on the government database of radicalized Muslim extremist, leaving the motives of his attack completely unclear for now.
According to President François Hollande, at least 50 of those injured in the attack are in critical condition, and many of the victims were children, while a handful of tourists from foreign countries were killed as well.
President Hollande called the event a terrorist attack, and convened an emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry in Paris after hearing of the heart-breaking news. The entire country will observe a three day mourning period, as Prime Minister Manuel Valls took to the public eye to claim that France would not give in to these horrific terrorist attacks.
Although ISIS has reportedly claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, there is no definitive proof that the truck driver had any accomplices, or whether any radical Islamist organizations may have played a role.
Previous report:
Yet another unsuspected violent attack has struck a chord of grief in the hearts of the French and those all around the world. As people in the southern French city of Nice gathered in the historic Promenade des Anglais after a firework display for Bastille Day, a suspect suddenly plowed through the jam-packed streets, leaving bodies scattered on the streets and an entire country in panic.
The gruesome attack has left at least 80 dead, and hundreds more injured, as the driver reportedly plowed through crowds for over a mile. According to the French media, the driver of the lorry, who has yet to be named by officials, was shot dead by police after wreaking havoc on the promenade. It’s likely that the event was purposely planned around the Bastille Day festivities, as it marks an important day in the French Revolution and is widely celebrated across the country.
"Everyone was calling run, run, run there's an attack run, run, run. We heard some shots. We thought they were fireworks because it's the 14th of July,” an eyewitness had told BFM TV. "There was great panic. We were running too because we didn't want to stick around and we went into a hotel to get to safety”
French officials from Nice have urged all citizens to remain inside of their houses. The heartbreaking event has happened not too long after the tragic terrorist attack throughout Paris in November 2015, which left 130 victims dead. Although the suspect has yet to be named, the terrorist cell ISIS has reportedly claimed responsibility and are praising the massacre.
Almost immediately after the details of the attack unfolded, President Barack Obama and other leaders from both France and around the world condemned the brutal attack. Graphic video footage and photos of the terrorist attack can be found on the social media, showing people flee in fear and screaming in agony.
This article will be updated with new information.
