Contrary to the hot statements of the mayor of Fort Lauderdale, a town near the scene of the tragedy, the driver of the van who hit and killed a man at a gay pride in Florida acted unintentionally.
The incident took place on Saturday at the start of the LGBTQ parade in Wilton Manors and also left one injured.
The vital prognosis of this man, still hospitalized, is not engaged.
"Today we know that yesterday's incident was a tragic accident, not a criminal act directed against any person or any group of individuals," Wilton Manors police said on Sunday.
For its part, Fort Lauderdale Police announced that the 77-year-old driver was participating in the festivities and was chosen to drive the lead van because he suffered from "walking conditions" during the period. parade.
The driver cooperates with the investigators
The white van had started before the parade started and "suddenly sped up, hitting two pedestrians" before ending its race against the fence of a nearby business, Fort Lauderdale police said.
The driver, who was arrested and taken into custody, is cooperating with the authorities, she said.
To justify himself, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Dean Trantalis, who spoke on Saturday of a "premeditated act", explained Sunday that he initially feared that "it could be intentional, from what [he] saw in a few meters away ”.
Present at the parade, he told
Local 10 News
on Saturday
that the van had targeted the car of a Democratic member of Congress, Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
“This is a terrorist attack against the LGBT community,” he said.
For the investigators this is therefore absolutely not the case.
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