At the time of this writing 80 people have been confirmed dead in Nice, France after a semi-truck (lorry) plowed a mile into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day and then the driver started firing into the crowd with a gun.
The Daily Mail (UK) has been updating throughout the day.
At least 80 people have been killed and more than 50 injured after a 25-tonne lorry mowed down crowds for more than a mile before the driver got out and sprayed fleeing revellers with bullets as terror struck Bastille Day celebrations on the French Riviera.
One eyewitness described seeing ‘bodies flying like bowling pins’ and ‘hearing noises, cries that I will never forget’ as the horror unfolded on a busy promenade in the southern city of Nice at around 11pm last night.
Identity documents belonging to a 31-year-old French Tunisian were later found in the bullet-riddled truck after the gunman at the wheel was shot dead by police marksmen, security sources said.
The source added: ‘The identification of the truck driver is still underway.’ The recovered papers indicate the man is a resident of Nice.
The truck driver was said to have shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ – God is greatest – before being killed. Pro-ISIS groups have been celebrating the attack, orchestrated to coincide with France’s most important national holiday, but as yet the terror group has not officially claimed responsibility.
A huge cache of guns, grenades and ‘larger weapons’ were later found inside the lorry, which mounted the pavement at approximately 40mph and steered directly towards hundreds of people watching a fireworks display. Around 100 revellers are then said to have dived into the sea as panic ensued and holiday crowds desperately ran for their lives.
Anti-terror police swooped in as the city was put on lockdown and residents were warned to stay indoors for their safety.
Addressing the nation, French President Francois Hollande said several children were among the dead, with 80 victims confirmed so far and a further 20 people gravely wounded. He added that it was ‘undeniable’ the massacre was a terrorist attack.
This is unadulterated evil. The driver is said to be of Tunisian descent. Eyewitnesses said he shouted “Allahu Akbar.” Will liberals call this for what it is – Islamic terrorism?
Let’s see… here’s President Barack Obama’s statement:
On behalf of the American people, I condemn in the strongest terms what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack in Nice, France, which killed and wounded dozens of innocent civilians. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and other loved ones of those killed, and we wish a full recovery for the many wounded. I have directed my team to be in touch with French officials, and we have offered any assistance that they may need to investigate this attack and bring those responsible to justice. We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack.
On this Bastille Day, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience and democratic values that have made France an inspiration to the entire world, and we know that the character of the French Republic will endure long after this devastating and tragic loss of life.
Nope. Let’s see what did Hillary Clinton say?
Once again it appears that terrorists have struck at one of our closet allies in Europe, attacking families celebrating the history and culture of their country on Bastille Day. Every American stands in strong solidarity with the people of France, and we say with one voice: we will not be intimidated. We will never allow terrorists to undermine the egalitarian and democratic values that underpin our very way of life. This cowardly attack only strengthens our commitment to our alliance and defeating terrorism around the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured, and with all of our friends in France.
No mention of Islamic terrorism, but still comes off sounding like a neo-con. Fascinating.
The European Council President says they stand united “against violence and hate.” Violence is an action, and hate is an emotion. Who are you standing against Mr. Tusk?
European and Asian leaders pay respect to victims of #Nice attack. We stand united against violence and hatred pic.twitter.com/NU0IRhZd7H
— Charles Michel (@eucopresident) July 15, 2016
Say it with me Islamic terrorism… they just can’t do it.
French President Francois Hollande could.
"C'est toute la France qui est sous la menace du terrorisme islamiste. Nous devons faire preuve d'une vigilance sans faille" #Nice
— Élysée (@Elysee) July 15, 2016
Translation – “I express the solidarity of the Nation to the victims and their loved ones. It’s all the France which is under the threat of Islamist terrorism. We must show flawless vigilance.” He went on to tweet:
"La France est éplorée, affligée mais elle est forte et le sera toujours plus que les fanatiques qui veulent aujourd’hui la frapper" #Nice
— Élysée (@Elysee) July 15, 2016
Translation: “We will have tomorrow a Defence Council, after which I’ll with (Bernard Cazeneuve – Minister of the Interior) in Nice to a point on the situation. The France is tearful, distressed but she is strong and will be always more than the zealots who now want to hit her.”
New UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s office released a rather bland statement. “We are shocked and concerned by the scenes there. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible incident on what was a day of national celebration.”
An incident? I hope she comes out with a stronger statement than that. I’ll cut her some slack since she is literally like a day-and-a-half into the job.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) offered a strong response:
Tonight, our close ally France is reeling from yet another major attack apparently carried out by radical Islamic terrorists.
Let us make no mistake about it: Europe is under siege. We must redouble our attacks on the ISIS strongholds in Iraq and Syria, but we cannot deceive ourselves that we can isolate ISIS and related terrorist groups in the Middle East. Thanks to a lack of decisive action, that opportunity has passed. As America has focused on limited regional air strikes, ISIS has been playing a longer game. They have used the last two years to establish a network of militants around the world from France to Bangladesh who are now coming to life. They may be in the United States as well.
We have to remove the blinders and recognize this for what it is: radical Islamic terrorism. We need to stop radicalized individuals from coming into the United States. We need to empower our law enforcement to target this specific threat, whether imported or homegrown. After seven and a half years of the Obama administration denying this danger, it is getting worse, not better. Willful blindness is not a policy.
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered the following statement:
Our hearts are with the victims of what appears to be yet another unconscionable act of terror. In the coming days we’ll learn more about who did this and why. For now we must stand strong with the people of our dear friend and ally France.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released a statement.
My prayers are with France and the victims of this horrific terrorist attack. We have continued to witness heartbreaking attacks in Europe and it is my hope we are able to come together to address the root causes of this violence with the strongest hand possible. While the investigation is ongoing, this has all the signs of a problem we sadly know all too well.
We must resolve as a nation in cooperation with our allies to take decisive action to break this senseless cycle of violence.
Donald Trump tweeted:
Another horrific attack, this time in Nice, France. Many dead and injured. When will we learn? It is only getting worse.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2016
In light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow's news conference concerning my Vice Presidential announcement.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 14, 2016
My prayers and condolences to the victims and families of the terrible tragedy in Nice, France. We are with you in every way!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 15, 2016
France and all of the European Union, with their open borders and loose immigration polices, are unfortunately susceptible to these kinds of attacks as we’ve seen in the last couple of years. The question is whether they will recognize what they had to do to ensure the safety of their citizens or will they continue to be frozen into inaction by political correctness and deny common sense in favor of their ideology.
This is unadulterated evil, just like what we’ve seen in Paris, Orlando, San Bernardino, Brussels, Instanbul and now Nice. We need to pray for the families of those who were killed, pray for the wounded, and pray that those responsible will meet justice in this life and the next.