Published on January 3, 2024, 1:09 am

In a harrowing start to the New Year, two individuals lost their lives in Rochester, N.Y., following an incident where an SUV filled with explosives drove into a crowd dispersing from a New Year’s rock concert. This shocking event is currently under scrutiny as potential act of terrorism.

The tragedy unfolded in the wee hours of New Year’s Day when an explosive-laden car sped into a mass of people exiting a rock concert held at the Kodak Center in upstate New York. The large group was leaving the location after enjoying celebrated performances by renowned rock band moe.

Law enforcement sources confirmed that Michael Avery, suspected to be bipolar and hailing from Syracuse, aggressively navigated his rented Ford Expedition towards the crowd and collided with an Uber vehicle that was exiting an adjacent parking area.

Rochester Police Chief David Smith described the terrifying sequence of events during a press briefing. He stated that the collision’s force propelled both vehicles into groups of pedestrians crossing and then caused further havoc by hitting two additional cars.

The explosion led to a severe fire that could only be brought under control nearly an hour later by determined efforts from the fire department crew.

A couple who were passengers in the Uber lost their lives while their driver thankfully survived with non-life-threatening injuries. Three pedestrians hit by flying debris remain critically injured, while Avery himself suffered life-threatening injuries leading to his demise later on Monday evening.

While inquiries into Avery’s motive are still ongoing, pointers towards potential self-harming thoughts have come forth after discovering a suicide note coupled with other materials found at his rented hotel room in town.

Currently, the FBI has not established any direct links between this incident and acts of terrorism but continues to investigate diligently. Jeremy Bell from FBI’s Rochester bureau confirmed involvement of Joint Terrorism Task Force, yet maintained that no evidence leading towards any ideological backing or connection to international or domestic terrorism has been found till date.

Interestingly however, another incident involving reported explosions on Roosevelt Island on New York City’s East River has also surfaced. A swarm of firefighters were summoned to The Landings apartment community administration after reports of tremors and explosions early Tuesday.

Initial probes into an earlier explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between U.S. and Canada suggested potential terrorist ties, but further investigation led to the dismissal of the theory, attributing it to an accident caused by a reckless driver instead.

Breaking news like these and access to real, trusted news is vital in these increasingly uncertain times which can sometimes be blurred by misinformation or rumors. Please stay updated for further information orientation towards a Christian worldview.