Lorry killer Mohamed Bouhlel reportedly sent a picture of himself laughing as he mingled with the crowd hours before the attack in Nice.
He also allegedly sent a text message 'discussing weapons' prior to the massacre in the resort city.
The French-Tunisian, 31, rammed his rented truck into revellers who had gathered on the promenade to watch a Bastille Day fireworks display.
Bouhlel killed at least 84 people - 16 who are still unidentified - and injured more than 200 others in Thursday night's atrocity.
Speaking in Tunisia, Jabeur Bouhlel claimed his brother had telephoned him hours before the rampage and sent a selfie among the crowds.
He said: "That last day he said he was in Nice with his European friends to celebrate the national holiday."
He added that in the photo "he seemed very happy and pleased, he was laughing a lot".
Mohamed Bouhlel had zigzagged in his vehicle along the seafront in order to run over as many victims as possible and was then shot dead by police.
The Tunisian-born killer, who had lived in the southern French city for a number of years, is thought to have visited the site twice over the two days before the tragedy.
Around 85 victims remain in hospital and 18 of them - including one child - are in a life-threatening condition.
Meanwhile, a man and a woman were held in Nice on Sunday morning.
Their arrests follow the detention of five other people since the tragedy, including Bouhlel's estranged wife. She has now been released from custody.
Authorities are trying to determine if he acted alone but the country's prime minister has said he had been radicalised quickly.
Several people, among hundreds who have been questioned, said Bouhlel showed signs of being religious, according to a judicial source.
But some of his friends and relatives have claimed he smoked, drank and never visited mosques.
Jihadist group Islamic State has said the lorry driver was one of their "soldiers".
Officials have yet to produce evidence that Bouhlel had any links to IS.
0 comments:
Post a Comment