A car crash outside a New Year’s concert in Rochester, New York is being investigated as domestic terrorism after the suspect allegedly left a suicide note and journal in his hotel room. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating after two vehicles – one laden with gas canisters – crashed and plowed into the crowd outside the concert at the Kodak Center, killing two people and injuring five others. The suspect, identified as Michael Avery from Syracuse, has left authorities puzzled with this incident.
Revelers were hit when a Ford SUV collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander and the force of the crash sent the vehicles through a group of pedestrians who were on the crosswalk. The FBI defines domestic terrorism involving acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of US or state laws, appearing to be intended to intimidate or coerce civilians, influence government policy, or affect the conduct of government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. Authorities are working with Avery’s family to understand his mental state and the motive behind his actions. Image from the aftermath of the crash shows a heavily damaged and burned black SUV stopped head-on in front of another vehicle, with charred red canisters and debris littering the roadway.
The FBI, Rochester Police Department, and the Rochester Fire Department are working tirelessly to uncover more details regarding this incident and are urging anyone with information to come forward. This tragic event has cast a dark shadow over the New Year’s celebrations, curtailing the joyous mood and resulting in profound shock and sadness, expressed by the rock band moe. who was performing at the venue before the crash. This is a developing story that raises many questions and concerns among the public about public safety and domestic terrorism.
