Who Is Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel? Nice, France Terror Attacker Identified By City Mayor

The mayor of Nice identified the attacker who killed over 80 people Thursday night during Bastille Day celebrations as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel. Bouhlel, the mayor said Friday, was a 31-year-old man living in Nice, according to NBC News. The French paper Le Monde reported he was a Tunisian citizen.

The attacker was killed at the scene Thursday by police responding to the carnage. It was not immediately clear if he had acted alone or if he had an accomplice when he hit people with his white truck and then open fired on pedestrians. There were no documents tied to terrorism found in the truck.

French President Francois Holland extended a nationwide state of emergency in the country following the attacks. But French officials had already been alert: Bouhlel is responsible for the third major terror attack in the country in just the last 19 months.

Bouhlel, according to French news organizations, was a delivery truck driver who was reportedly born on Jan. 3 1985 in Msaken, Tunisia. He moved to France in 2005 and where he lived in northern Nice. He was recently arrested for a fight he had on the road, according to Le Monde.

Other reports indicated that Bouhlel became depressed after his ex-wife divorced him and that he was a father of three.

Investigators were still trying to figure out what exactly motivated Bouhlel to drive the truck through the crowd of revelers and begin firing. Various explanations, including mental instability and radicalization, had not been ruled out Friday.

Bouhlel’s home was raided and investigated following the attacks. Neighbors told reporters that the man who had killed at least 84 was “solitary” and “silent.” Neighbors also told French news outlets that Boulel didn’t appear to be very religious, and often wore shorts and work boots. Other neighbors said that he had never returned their greetings when passing in the halls of their building.