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What We Know About The Bastille Day Victims

by Emily Shire

Update: According to the latest reports, at least 84 people were killed in the attack in Nice, France, and over 180 are injured. Of the wounded, François Hollande, the president of France, said on Friday there are 50 victims “in between life and death." After an emergency meeting of French security and defense officials, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said: "Terrorism is a threat that weighs heavily upon France and will continue to weigh for a long time. We are facing a war that terrorism has brought to us." Among the victims, who were celebrating the French holiday of Bastille Day, were a number of tourists, including two Americans, Sean Copelend and his 11-year-old son, Brodie. To help victims of the Bastille Day attack, you can contribute to verified fundraisers or donate blood.

Earlier: On Thursday night, a truck plowed into a crowd at a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France. At the time of writing, official statements regarding casualty totals had not yet been released, but the deputy mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, reportedly tweeted that there may be “tens of deaths," according to the New York Times. Few firm details are known about the gruesome incident that ruined what is supposed to be a day of national celebration in France, and many are wondering who the Nice, France, attack victims are.

At the time of writing, there are conflicting reports about the number of victims. The main information that is known is that they had gathered to watch the annual celebratory fireworks in honor of Bastille Day and were standing along the Promenade des Anglais. “Everyone was calling ‘run, run, run, there’s an attack, run, run, run,’” one witness to the attack told CNN affiliate BFM-TV, according to a NewYork Daily News report.

“The kids thought it was part of the fireworks," Jimmy Ghazal, a Lebanese man visiting Nice, told ABC News. "We just told them it was part of the fireworks.” Videos of the attack appear to show onlookers running and screaming in fear. Nice has been put on lockdown in response to the attack.

The first two victims named were Sean and Brodie Copeland of Austin, Texas. The 51-year-old father, Sean, was on a family vacation in France with his wife, his son, Brodie, and his two other children, a relative told BuzzFeed News. Brodie was only 11 years old.

Similarly, Philippe Pradal, the mayor of Nice, confirmed that more than 50 children were admitted to the hospital following the attacks and at least 10 children were killed.