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| Police officers and rescue workers stand near a van that ploughed into a crowd leaving a fireworks display in the French Riviera town of Nice on July 14, 2016 |
Two Americans were among the more than 80 killed in an attack in Nice, France, Thursday night, when a driver ploughed into a large crowd with a truck hauling grenades and other weapons during Bastille Day celebrations, the U.S. State Department said.
Officials did not name the two Americans, although family members confirmed their identities to ABC News.
"We are aware that two
U.S. citizens were killed in the attack. We are working with local
authorities to determine if other U.S. citizens were injured in the
event," according to a statement released by the State Department this
morning. "We strongly urge U.S. citizens in Nice to be in direct contact
with your family members in the United States and elsewhere to advise
them of your safety."
Sean Copeland and his 11-year-old son
Brodie, who were in Nice on a family vacation, were killed in the
attack, Alyssa Weaver, the elder Copeland's niece, wrote on Twitter. The
Copelands are from Lakeway, Texas, about 30 miles west of Austin.
Weaver tweeted, "I am asking for prayers for my family, due to
the tragedy in Nice, France I lost my uncle Sean and my 11 year old
cousin Brodie I ask for prayers for my aunt Kim and my two other cousins
Maegan and Austin during this tough time and prayers for my family’s
safe trip back home #CopelandStrong”
French
President Francois Hollande said today at least 84 people, including
many young children, were killed. Dozens more were injured and at least
50 people are in critical condition, "between life and death," Hollande
told reporters after visiting some of the victims at a hospital in Nice.
Witnesses described how a festive night watching fireworks on the seafront for the French holiday ended in horror.
Shortly after the fireworks ended, Inga Romanoff was walking down the promenade when she heard gunshots.
"I started running and I looked back and I saw the truck going
through the people right in the place where I was standing. It was just
seconds," Romanoff said on "Good Morning America." "I don't think people
had any time to jump out of the way."
Chaos erupted as people tried to flee the driver's deadly path, Romanoff said.
A
woman next to her stumbled and fell, she said. "People kept running
over her, and I was trying to pick her up so she could also run."
It was complete chaos," she said. "People were running in different directions."
Sam
Helwani, a French teacher from New Jersey, was with friends further
from the scene when they saw a crowd running in their direction.
"It
was like a mass exodus of people running towards us," Helwani told ABC
News today. "I had asked a woman in French, what’s the problem? What’s
going on? And she said there’s a man with a gun."
Helwani, who
has traveled to Nice for the past six years, said he's still shaken up
by what happened, but won't let it impact the rest of his trip.
"I
still can't eat anything. I'm still a little shaky," he said. "I'm here
until the end of August so I have a really long trip planned and I'm
not going to stop doing what I do."
He added: "It’s still the same Nice that I know and love, just trying to recover after reeling from that attack yesterday."
Hollande
extended the country's state of emergency, which was due to end this
month, for another three months and was mobilizing reservists. He said
it was unclear whether the attacker had any accomplices.
"France
is horrified by what has just occurred -- a monstrous act of using a
truck to intentionally kill dozens of people celebrating 14th of July,"
the French president said during a nationally televised address early
today. "France is strong. France will always be stronger than the
fanatics who want to strike France today."
Officials have not yet
identified the attacker, and there have been no claims of
responsibility. The Paris anti-terrorism prosecutor's office was put in
charge of the investigation.
Graphic
images surfaced on social media showing the mayhem, including the truck
barreling through crowds as dozens are seen running from the scene.
The Vatican released a statement this morning condemning the attack.
"Throughout
the night we have followed with great concern the terrible news from
Nice. On behalf of Pope Francis, we join in solidarity with the
suffering of the victims and of the entire French people this day that
should have been a great holiday," Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico
Lombardi said in a statement. "We condemn in the strongest way every
demonstration of senseless violence, of hatred, terrorism and any attack
against peace."
Pope Francis also tweeted this morning that he was praying for the victims.
President Obama also issued a statement calling the incident a "horrific terrorist attack."
Secretary
of State John Kerry, who joined French leaders Thursday at Bastille Day
celebrations in Paris, said he would continue to stand "firmly" with
the French people during this time.
French
Prime Minister Manuel Vallas said the government is declaring three days
of national mourning following the attack in Nice.
Vallas said the national mourning would begin Saturday.
https://gma.yahoo.com/2-americans-killed-monstrous-attack-nice-death-toll-071837746--abc-news-topstories.html#
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