Last night, after thousands watched the Bastille Day fireworks on the beach in Nice, France, a 25-ton truck deliberately plowed through the crowds along the Promenade des Anglais for over one mile, killing 84 and injuring dozens more, with approximately 50 in critical condition. The perpetrator was later identified as a French Tunisian and petty criminal known to police, but not on France's terrorist radar screen. As of this morning, no group has claimed responsibility for the massacre.
French President Francois Hollande said in a statement. "France is filled with sadness by this new tragedy. There's no denying the terrorist nature of this attack." Leaders and the famous from around the world declared their horror at the attack and their solidarity with the French, who have suffered major attacks in the past 18 months, starting with the Charlie Hebdo/Jewish deli attack in January 2015 and last November's attack on the Bataclan nightspot in Paris.
UPDATE: The White House released a statement yesterday by President Obama (embedded in the last link above) on the attack:
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.
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