A heroic member of the public halted the truck involved in the Nice terror attack which left 84 dead- by leaping into the vehicle, wrestling with the driver and seizing his revolver, giving the police time to arrive at the spot and shoot the driver dead, a media report said.
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He was said to be known to police for non-terror-related offenses.
He later said the attacker had been picked up on CCTV cameras getting into the truck “in the hills of NIce”.
Law enforcement and judicial officials have identified 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel as the suspect who they believe plowed into a crowd in Nice, France, killing at least 84 people. “Attacks are prepared with accomplices”, he said.
The truck was rented on Monday and was supposed to have been returned Wednesday.
The Tunisian government issued a statement condemning Thursday’s attack “in the strongest possible terms”. Investigators have since gone to question Bouhlel’s estranged spouse, likely in an attempt to better understand the mindset of the driver who was shot dead by police following the horrific events that took place on the Promenade des Anglais. Among the 52 critically injured, 25 are in a coma, Molins said.
The man had hurled himself into the cab when the 20 tonne truck was held up by an obstruction.
Hollande, Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve arrived in Nice Friday lunch-time to meet security officials. Paris prosecutor Francois Molins confirmed the identity of the attacker.
The French Muslim Council condemned the attack “with the greatest vigor”.
“Although yesterday’s attack has not been claimed, this sort of thing fits in perfectly with calls for murder from such terrorist organisations”.
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French police are now warning others in Nice to stay indoors. Bouhel was found dead in the passenger seat, he said.
