A vehicle explosion occurred on the same day at Rainbow Bridge, located on the border between the United States and Canada, resulting in 2 deaths and 1 injury. According to sources from US law enforcement agencies, on-site videos show that the vehicle in question drove into the US side of the Rainbow Bridge border port area and then crashed into the border guardrail at high speed before exploding. The scene caught fire and thick smoke billowed.
On the 22nd, the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, stated that there is no indication that the incident was a terrorist attack. She said that all four US Canada border bridges located near Niagara Falls were immediately closed after the incident. Later that day, traffic on the Peace Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge, and Lewiston Queenston Bridge had resumed, while the Rainbow Bridge remained closed.
According to sources cited by CNN, investigators believe that the man driving the vehicle in question and his wife had originally planned to attend a concert in Canada, but after the performance was cancelled, the man turned to driving to a casino on the US side. The accident occurred shortly after the couple left the casino. New York State Governor Hochul stated that a border patrol officer suffered minor injuries.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Matthew Miraglia, who is responsible for investigating this matter, said at a press conference that there is no indication that the incident is related to the threat of terrorism. He said, "We have indeed considered this idea and are dealing with it through the Joint Action Team Against Terrorism (JTTF).".
Miraglia also said, "We have confirmed the identity of this person (referring to the car driver), found no negative information, checked his social media, and found nothing. We are still conducting a comprehensive investigation, so this is a preliminary assessment.".
New York West District prosecutor Trini Ross also agrees with this assessment, stating that preliminary investigations have determined that the incident is "not related to terrorism.". "But we will continue to remain vigilant," Ross said, emphasizing that people can "reduce the increased sensitivity because we do not consider this to be a terrorist event.".
John Garcia, the Sheriff of Erie County in the United States, said, "At first we were not sure if this was a terrorist attack, so we took all preventive measures to ensure the safety of the community." He described the incident as a "tragic accident.".
According to Canadian media reports, Canadian officials assume that this incident is related to terrorist activities and are investigating whether it is an isolated incident. Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau issued a statement on the 22nd stating that Canada is maintaining contact with the United States and providing all necessary support.
