Nice terrorist searched ISIS propaganda, researched Orlando shooting


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The Paris prosecutor's office announced Monday that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel searched Islamic State propaganda and researched the Orlando nightclub massacre before launching his own attack on the Bastille Day crowd in Nice last Thursday, which left 84 dead and dozens more wounded after Bouhlel drove a refrigerated truck through a crowd of revelers. The prosecutor's office also announced that evidence indicates the attack was premeditated and that Bouhlel had prepared for the rampage.
Bouhlel was born in Tunisia, but had a work permit for France. He had committed petty crimes in the past, but was not known to authorities to be a terrorist threat; however, a lawyer who had previously defended Bouhlel said he "wasn't very intelligent" and "could have been influenced by religion." He was killed in a shoot-out with police.
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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