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Attacker In Nice Was "Inspired" By Orlando Shooting

Relatives of Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel say he was radicalized by members of the Islamic State.

The truck driver who plowed into a Bastille Day celebration in Nice last week, killing 84 people, was reportedly inspired by the horrific attack on Pulse nightclub last month.

An investigation into Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel's online behavior before the attack showed he searched for information about the Orlando massacre, as well as for violent images and sites related to ISIL and other jihadi groups.

Bouhlel's uncle says his nephew was indoctrinated by an Algerian branch of the Islamic State group, and that his personal problems—mental instability and estrangement from his wife and children—made him "an easy prey for recruitment."

"Mohamed didn’t pray, didn’t go to the mosque and ate pork," said Sadok Bouhlel. There are also reports that Bouhlel carried on affairs with both men and women and filmed his encounters on his phone.

ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the French government says no links have been found tying Bouhlel to a specific terrorist network.

President Francois Hollande has taken a hard-line stance in the wake of the Bastille Day massacre and the coordinated attacks in Paris last fall.

"We are in war, a total war," he said Sunday. "Our enemies don’t have no taboos, no borders, no principles. So I will use strong words: It will be us or them."

Hollande called for electronic bracelets for anyone suspected of radicalization and the expulsion of immigrants with possible terrorism links.

It's not clear how much, if any, help Bouhlel had carrying out his deadly mission, though seven people are currently in custody.

h/t: Gay Star News

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