Tunisian-born
Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a 31-year-old delivery driver, was reported to be a
French passport holder who lived in the Riviera city and was regularly in
trouble with the law.
At
least 10 children are among the dead following the "cowardly and
barbaric" atrocity that left at least one British national among the many
injured. Officials fear the death toll will rise.
As
hundreds remained in hospital - including 18 fighting for their lives in
intensive care - anti-terrorist judges opened an investigation into "mass
murder" and investigators searched the home of the driver in the Abattoirs
area of Nice.
Nice
attack aftermath
Investigating
sources said Bouhlel's last appearance in a criminal court was as recently as
March, when he was found guilty of violent contact. Despite this, he had no
known links with terrorism and was not under surveillance.
An
investigating source said: "An operation is currently underway at the dead
suspect’s home in Nice. It is being raided by officers."
Bouhel
left his French identity card in the hired 19 tonne lorry used to murder dozens
of people on Thursday night.
His
truck had zigzagged through crowds massing on the Promenade des Anglais,
killing anyone he could.
After
being stopped by armed police, who fired bullets into the lorry’s windscreen,
the so far unnamed man exchanged fire with officers using a 7.65 pistol, before
being shot dead.
"He
was known to the police for violence, and using weapons, but had no direct
links with terrorism," said an investigating source. "His identity
car was found in the lorry. He had French and Tunisian nationality."
The
fact that the killer was known to the authorities will be of grave concern to
those trying to prevent terrorist attacks in France.
A
recent Paris parliamentary investigation into last year’s attacks identified
multiple failings by France’s intelligence agencies.
As
the United Nations issued a statement calling the latest "cowardly and
barbaric", French Prime Minister Manuel Valls tweeted: "The city of
Nice has been hit by terrorism on the day of our national holiday. Immense
pain, the country is in mourning. The French will face it."
President
Francois Hollande meanwhile spoke of a "monstrosity", and said
soldiers would be deployed to support gendarmes and police, particularly at the
country’s borders.
A
State of Emergency imposed last year after almost 150 people were killed during
attacks on Paris would be extended to July 26, Mr Hollande added.
Interior
Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said: "We are at war with terrorists who want
to strike us at any cost and who are extremely violent."
Tony
Molina, an American witness to the attack, told CNN: "There was still a
crowd of people and then you just see this big white panel truck, I couldn’t
see the driver, but it just kept going at different angles from left to right
at 25 to 30 miles and hour.
"People
were screaming and running. I work in homicide and I’ve never seen anything
like this. It’s unbelievable."
Aerial
footage shows aftermath of Nice truck attack Play! 00:28
The
Promenade Anglais was packed on what is traditionally the biggest public
holiday in France, when the man struck soon after 10.30pm local time (21:30
BST)
The
white lorry mounted the pavement repeatedly at approximately 40mph and steered
directly towards men, women, and children, some of whom were still dressed for
the beach.
"People
went down like ninepins," a man who runs Le Queenie restaurant on the
seafront told France Info radio.
Locals
were advised to stay indoors as soldiers and anti-terrorist police flooded the
area.
British
holidaymaker Esther Serwah, 59, was staying in a hotel a short walk from the
scene.
She
said she had been on her way to the Promenade des Anglais for dinner with her
daughters when people started screaming at her.
source: thetelegraph
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