Horrifying news out of France today:
At least 75 people were killed late when a man driving a large truck drove into a large crowd in Nice that had gathered to celebrate Bastille Day.
According to The Associated Press, via a witness who was on hand for the heinous act, a driver plowed directly into a throng of citizens prior to getting out of the vehicle with a gun, firing away in all directions.
The culprit was shot to death, authorities have confirmed.
At least 100 people were injured in the slaughter, the same authorities have also said.
“There was carnage on the road,” Wassim Bouhlel, a Nice native, told The Associated Press. “Bodies everywhere.”
Another individual who was present told Fox News that cops did, indeed, shoot and kill the gunman; his name has not yet been released.
Various photos, meanwhile, depict police trucks riddled with bullets, a result of a gunfight between the suspect and police.
CNN reports that the tractor-trailer drove for two kilometers along the pavement of the Boulevard des Anglais, the main street in Nice, taking out pedestrians along the way.
Regional President Christian Estrosi says police discovered firearms, explosives and grenades in the truck after the shooter was taken out.
“This is the worst tragedy in the history of Nice with more than 70 victims already reported,” Estrosi Tweeted this evening.
Another person on the scene told the Telegraph that the area was “absolute chaos” and that there were cops “flooding the streets, including anti-terrorism officers.”
Bastille Day marks the storming of the Bastille in 1789. It is a bank holiday in France, with restaurants and hotels especially crowded with revelers.
Soon after news of the tragedy went public, President Obama issued a statement condemning the attack, saying:
“We stand in solidarity and partnership with France, our oldest ally, as they respond to and recover from this attack.”
We’ll update this sad story as more news breaks.
Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the victims.